The medical name for the thighbone, the longest bone in the body. The lower end hinges with the tibia (shin) to form the knee joint. The upper end is rounded into a ball (head of the femur) that fits into a socket in the pelvis to form the hip joint. The head of the femur is joined to the bone shaft by a narrow piece of bone called the neck of the femur, which is a common fracture site (see femur, fracture of).
At the lower end, the bone is enlarged to form 2 lumps (the condyles) that distribute the weight-bearing load through the knee joint. On the outer side of the upper femur is a protuberance called the greater trochanter. The shaft of the femur is surrounded by muscles which move the hip and knee joints.
The thigh bone, which is the longest and strongest bone in the body. As the upper end is set at an angle of about 120 degrees to the rest of the bone, and since the weight of the body is entirely borne by the two femora, fracture of one of these bones close to its upper end is a common accident in old people, whose bones are often weakened by osteoporosis (see under BONE, DISORDERS OF). The femur ?ts, at its upper end, into the acetabulum of the pelvis, forming the hip-joint, and, at its lower end, meets the tibia and patella in the knee-joint.
(thigh bone) n. a long bone between the hip and the knee (see illustration overleaf). The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum of the *hip bone. The greater and lesser trochanters are protuberances on which the gluteus and psoas major muscles, respectively, are inserted. The lateral and medial condyles articulate with the *tibia, and the trochlear groove accommodates the kneecap (patella).
The narrowed end of the femur (femoral neck), which carries the head, is the commonest site of fracture of the leg in elderly women. Partial dislocation of the femoral epiphysis, the growth area of the upper end of the bone, leads to deformity of the head of the femur and premature degeneration of the hip joint.
The symptoms, treatment, and possible complications of a fracture of the femur (thigh-bone) depend on whether the bone has broken across its neck (the short section between the top of the shaft and the hip joint) or across the shaft.Fracture of the neck of the femur, often called a broken hip, is very common in elderly people, especially in women with osteoporosis, and is usually associated with a fall. In a fracture of the neck of the femur, the broken bone ends are often considerably displaced; in such cases there is usually severe pain in the hip and groin, making standing impossible. Occasionally, the broken ends become impacted. In this case, there is less pain and walking may be possible. Diagnosis is confirmed by X-ray. If the bone ends are displaced, an operation under general anaesthesia is necessary, either to realign the bone ends and to fasten them together, or to replace the entire head and neck of the femur with an artificial substitute (see hip replacement). If the bone ends are impacted the fracture may heal naturally, but surgery may still be recommended to avoid the need for bed rest.
Complications include damage to the blood supply to the head of the femur, causing it to disintegrate. Osteoarthritis may develop in the hip joint after fracture of the femur neck itself. However, immobility and the need for surgery in the elderly may result in complications, such as pneumonia, that are not directly related to the fracture site.
Fracture of the bone shaft usually occurs when the femur is subjected to extreme force, such as that which occurs in a traffic accident. In most cases, the bone ends are considerably displaced, causing severe pain, tenderness, and swelling.
Diagnosis is confirmed by X-ray. With a fractured femoral shaft there is often substantial blood loss from the bone. In most cases, the fracture is repaired by surgery in which the ends of the bone are realigned and fastened together with a metal pin. Sometimes the bone ends can be realigned by manipulation, and surgery is not necessary. After realignment, the leg is supported with a splint and put in traction to hold the bone together while it heals.
Complications include failure of the bone ends to unite or fusion of the broken ends at the wrong angle, infection of the bone, or damage to a nerve or artery.
A fracture of the lower shaft can cause permanent stiffness of the knee.... femur, fracture of
Health Encyclopedia