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The femur (/ ˈ f iː m ər /; pl.: femurs or femora / ˈ f ɛ m ər ə /), [1] [2] or thigh bone, is the only bone in the thigh — the region of the lower limb between the hip and the knee. In many four-legged animals the femur is the upper bone of the hindleg .
The long bones of the human leg comprise nearly half of adult height. The other primary skeletal component of height are the vertebrae and skull. The outside of the bone consists of a layer of connective tissue called the periosteum. Additionally, the outer shell of the long bone is compact bone, then a deeper layer of cancellous bone (spongy ...
A long bone is one that is cylindrical in shape, being longer than it is wide. However, the term describes the shape of a bone, not its size, which is relative. Long bones are found in the arms (humerus, ulna, radius) and legs (femur, tibia, fibula), as well as in the fingers (metacarpals, phalanges) and toes (metatarsals, phalanges).
The other two borders of the femur are only slightly marked: the lateral border extends from the antero-inferior angle of the greater trochanter to the anterior extremity of the lateral condyle; the medial border from the intertrochanteric line, at a point opposite the lesser trochanter, to the anterior extremity of the medial condyle.
It is composed of 270 bones at the time of birth, [2] but later decreases to 206: 80 bones in the axial skeleton and 126 bones in the appendicular skeleton. 172 of 206 bones are part of a pair and the remaining 34 are unpaired. [3] Many small accessory bones, such as sesamoid bones, are not included in this.
These bones are located just beyond the wrist and serve as a link to the phalanges, or finger bones, at the end of the limbs. In the lower body, the femur is a prominent bone positioned between the hip and knee. As the longest bone in the human body, it plays a pivotal role in forming the upper part of the knee joint.
The 126 bones of the appendicular skeleton and the 80 bones of the axial skeleton together form the complete skeleton of 206 bones in the human body. Unlike the axial skeleton, the appendicular skeleton is made up of significantly more long bones and predominantly articulated via synovial joints, which allow for a much greater range of motion.
Wrist bones are known as the carpals, and ankle bones are known as the tarsals. The middle part of the autopodium is the metapodium (plural: metapodia), composed of the slender long bones each called a metapodial. The metapodials of the hand are known as metacarpals, while the metapodials of the foot are known as metatarsals.