BONES OF THE LOWER

LIMB
 BONES OF THE LOWER LIMB

• The bones of the lower limb can be

divided into two functional
components; the bones of the
pelvic girdle and the bones of the
free lower limb.
• The bones of the free lower limb
include
the femur, tibia, fibula, patella an
d bones of foot.
 HIP BONE
• The left and right hip bones (innominate bones,
pelvic bones) are two irregularly shaped bones
that form part of the pelvic girdle – the bony
structure that attaches the axial skeleton to the
lower limbs.
• The hip bones have three main articulations:
• Sacroiliac joint – articulation with the sacrum.
• Pubic symphysis – articulation between the left
and right hip bones.
• Hip joint – articulation with the head of femur.
 COMPOSITION OF THE HIP BONE
• The hip bone is comprised of the three parts;
the ilium, pubis and ischium. Prior to
puberty, the triradiate cartilage separates these
parts – and fusion only begins at the age of 15-17.
• Together, the ilium, pubis and ischium form a
cup-shaped socket known as
the acetabulum (literal meaning in latin is
‘vinegar cup‘). The head of the femur articulates
with the acetabulum to form the hip joint.
 FEMUR
• The femur is the only bone in the
thigh and the longest bone in the
body.
• It acts as the site of origin and
attachment of many muscles and
ligaments, and can be divided into
three parts; proximal, shaft and
distal.
 PROXIMAL
• The proximal aspect of the femur articulates with the acetabulum of the pelvis to form
the hip joint.
• It consists of a head and neck, and two bony processes – the greater and lesser
trochanters. There are also two bony ridges connecting the two trochanters; the
intertrochanteric line anteriorly and the trochanteric
• Head – articulates with the acetabulum of the pelvis to form the hip joint. It has a smooth
surface, covered with articular cartilage (except for a small depression – the fovea – where
ligamentum teres attaches).
• Neck – connects the head of the femur with the shaft. It is cylindrical, projecting in a
superior and medial direction. It is set at an angle of approximately 135 degrees to the
shaft. This angle of projection allows for an increased range of movement at the hip joint.
• Greater trochanter – the most lateral
palpable projection of bone that originates
from the anterior aspect, just lateral to the
neck.
• It is the site of attachment for many of the
muscles in the gluteal region, such as gluteus
medius, gluteus minimus and piriformis.
• The vastus lateralis originates from this site.
• An avulsion fracture of the greater trochanter
can occur as a result of forceful contraction of
the gluteus medius.
 DISTAL
• The distal end of the femur is characterised by
the presence of the medial and lateral condyles,
which articulate with the tibia and patella to
form the Knee Joint
• Medial and lateral condyles – rounded areas at
the end of the femur. The posterior and inferior
surfaces articulate with the tibia and menisci of
the knee, while the anterior surface articulates
with the patella. The more prominent lateral
condyle helps prevent the natural lateral
movement of the patella; a flatter condyle is
more likely to result in patellar dislocation.
• Medial and lateral epicondyles – bony elevations on
the non-articular areas of the condyles. The medial
epicondyle is the larger.
• The medial and lateral collateral ligaments of the knee
originate from their respective epicondyles.
• Intercondylar fossa – a deep notch on the posterior
surface of the femur, between the two condyles. It
contains two facets for attachment of intracapsular
knee ligaments; the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
attaches to the medial aspect of the lateral condyle and
the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) to the lateral
aspect of the medial condyle.
 THE PATELLA
• The patella (kneecap) is located at the front of the knee joint,
within the patellofemoral groove of the femur. Its superior
aspect is attached to the quadriceps tendon and inferior aspect to
the patellar ligament.
• It is classified as a sesamoid type bone due to its position
within the quadriceps tendon, and is the largest sesamoid bone
in the body. In this article we will look at the anatomy of the
patella – its surface features, functions and clinical relevance.
• The patella has a triangular shape, with anterior and posterior
surfaces. The apex of the patella is situated inferiorly and is
connected to the tibial tuberosity by the patellar ligament.
The base forms the superior aspect of the bone and provides the
attachment area for the quadriceps tendon.
• The posterior surface of the patella articulates with
the femur, and is marked by two facets:
• Medial facet – articulates with the medial condyle of
the femur.
• Lateral facet – articulates with the lateral condyle of
the femur.
Functions
• The patella has two main functions:
• Leg extension – enhances the leverage that the
quadriceps tendon can exert on the femur, increasing
the efficiency of the muscle.
• Protection – protects the anterior aspect of the knee
joint from physical trauma.