Femur

The femur is the thigh bone, the longest bone in the body. The lower end joins the tibia (shin) to form the knee joint. The upper end is rounded into a ball (or head of the femur) that fits into a socket in the pelvis to form the hip joint. Just below the head are a constriction, or neck, and two large processes-an upper, lateral greater trochanter and a lower, medial lesser trochanter. These processes provide attachments for muscles of the legs and buttocks. The neck of the femur gives the...