•  In both the male and female the femur (Os femoris), the bone of the thigh, is the longest bone in the body.

Proximal end

•  Its upper (proximal) end comprises a head, neck, and greater and lesser trochanters.

•  The head of the femur has a smooth articular surface for articulation with the acetabulum of the hip bone.

•  The medial aspect of the head has a pit termed the fovea. Attached to this is the ligament of the head of the femur.

•  The surface of the femoral neck is characterized by small vascular foramina and by the presence of many grooves and ridges.

Ossification

•  The femur begins to ossify in the center of the shaft towards the end of the second month in-utero.

•  The secondary ossification center for the femoral condyles is usually present by birth. It appears in males between the eighth month in-utero and birth, but may appear in girls as early as the seventh month in-utero.

•  The lower femoral epiphysis fuses with the shaft around the age of 17 years in females, and 18 to 19 years in males.

•  Fusion is signified by ossification of the epiphyseal line.

For more information on the Hip and Knee, see 'The Interactive Hip and 'The Interactive Knee'.


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