.png?w=400&auto=format)
.png)
The articular cartilage of the femur is on its end, covering it. It is the articulating portion of the epiphysis that is coated with a layer of hyaline cartilage. This layer is resistant to wear and produces a minimum of friction when it is compressed as the joint is moved. The shaft of the bone, which is located between the epiphyses, is called the diaphysis. Except for the articular cartilage onmycontentbreak its ends, the bone is completely enclosed by a tough, vascular covering of fibrous tissue called the periosteum.