Which limb bones are the longest

Like the shoulder, the hip is a ball and socket joint, allowing for a wide range of motion. The greater trochanter fits into the acetabulum, a bowl-shaped structure formed by the hip bones. The acetabulum is covered in a layer of articular cartilage to keep the movements of the hip joint smooth as the head of the femur swivels.

Connecting the femur to the bones of the pelvis are the ischiofemoral, iliofemoral, and pubofemoral ligaments. The tibia may run vertically from the knee to the ankle, but the femur is actually set at an angle. Because the female pelvis is typically wider than the male pelvis, females tend to have a larger Q-angle.

Red bone marrow is what we typically think of when someone talks about bone marrow — in fact, in newborns, all bone marrow is red! Yellow bone marrow , on the other hand, is made up mostly of fat. If you cannot see the Flash Movie playing then you may not have the flash player installed.

The latest version of the Flash player can be downloaded free from Macromedia More information and help with installing the Flash Player can be foundon the BBC's Webwise pages. Your leg bones are the longest and strongest bones in your body. When you stand or walk, all the weight of your upper body rests on them. Each leg is made up of four bones. The three long bones are your femur, your tibia and your fibula. The fourth bone is your small patella, which is better known as the kneecap.

The arches of the foot are formed by the tarsal and metatarsal bones; they dissipate impact forces and store energy for the subsequent step. The arches of the foot are formed by the tarsal and metatarsal bones. Strengthened by ligaments and tendons, the elastic properties of arches allow the foot to act as a spring, dissipating impact forces and storing energy to be transfered into the subsequent step improving locomotion.

The two longitudinal arches and a transverse arch are maintained by the interlocking shapes of the foot bones, strong ligaments, and pulling muscles during activity. The slight mobility of these arches when weight is applied to and removed from the foot makes walking and running more economical in terms of energy.

Excessive strain on the tendons and ligaments of the feet can result in fallen arches or flat feet. The longitudinal arch of the foot can be broken down into several smaller arches.

The main arches are the antero-posterior arches, which may, for descriptive purposes, be regarded as divisible into two types—a medial and a lateral. As can be examined in a footprint, the medial longitudinal arch curves above the ground. It is made by the calcaneus, the talus, the navicular, the three cuneiforms, and the first, second, and third metatarsals. Its summit is at the superior articular surface of the talus. Its two extremities or piers, on which it rests in standing, are the tuberosity on the plantar surface of the calcaneus posteriorly, and the heads of the first, second, and third metatarsal bones anteriorly.

The chief characteristic of this arch is its elasticity, due to its height and to the number of small joints between its component parts. Its weakest part i. The ligament is strengthened medially by blending with the deltoid ligament of the ankle joint, and is supported inferiorly by the tendon of the tibialis posterior, which is spread out in a fan-shaped insertion and prevents undue tension of the ligament or such an amount of stretching as would permanently elongate it. The arch is further supported by the plantar aponeurosis, by the small muscles in the sole of the foot, by the tendons of the peroneus longus and the tibialis anterior and posterior, and by the ligaments of all the articulations involved.

In contrast, the lateral longitudinal arch is very low. It is composed of the calcaneus, the cuboid, and the fourth and fifth metatarsals. Its summit is at the talocalcaneal articulation, and its chief joint is the calcaneocuboid, which possesses a special mechanism for locking and allows only a limited movement.

The most marked features of this arch are its solidity and its slight elevation. Two strong ligaments—the long plantar and the plantar calcaneocuboid—the extensor tendons, and the short muscles of the little toe preserve its integrity. While these medial and lateral arches may be readily demonstrated as the component antero-posterior arches of the foot, the fundamental longitudinal arch is contributed to by both, and consists of the calcaneus, cuboid, third cuneiform, and third metatarsal: all the other bones of the foot may be removed without destroying this arch.

In addition to the longitudinal arches, the foot presents a series of transverse arches. The arches are complete at the posterior part of the metatarsus and the anterior part of the tarsus, but in the middle of the tarsus they present more of the characteristics of concavities. These are directed downward and medially, so that when the medial borders of the feet are placed in apposition, a complete tarsal dome is formed.

The transverse arches are strengthened by the interosseous, plantar, and dorsal ligaments; by the short muscles of the first and fifth toes especially the transverse head of the adductor hallucis , and by the peroneus longus, whose tendon stretches between the piers of the arches. Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Skeletal System: Parts of the Skeleton. Search for:. The Lower Limb. Femur The Thigh The femur—the bone of the upper leg—is the longest bone in the human body and one of the strongest.

The tibial tuberosity is an elevated area on the anterior side of the tibia, near its proximal end. It is the final site of attachment for the muscle tendon associated with the patella. More inferiorly, the shaft of the tibia becomes triangular in shape. This forms the large bony bump found on the medial side of the ankle region. Both the smooth surface on the inside of the medial malleolus and the smooth area at the distal end of the tibia articulate with the talus bone of the foot as part of the ankle joint.

On the lateral side of the distal tibia is a wide groove called the fibular notch. This area articulates with the distal end of the fibula, forming the distal tibiofibular joint. The fibula is the slender bone located on the lateral side of the leg see Figure 6. The fibula does not bear weight. It serves primarily for muscle attachments and thus is largely surrounded by muscles. Only the proximal and distal ends of the fibula can be palpated. The head of the fibula is the small, knob-like, proximal end of the fibula.

It articulates with the inferior aspect of the lateral tibial condyle, forming the proximal tibiofibular joint. The distal end of the fibula forms the lateral malleolus , which forms the easily palpated bony bump on the lateral side of the ankle. The deep medial side of the lateral malleolus articulates with the talus bone of the foot as part of the ankle joint. The distal fibula also articulates with the fibular notch of the tibia.

The posterior half of the foot is formed by seven tarsal bones Figure 6. The most superior bone is the talus. This has a relatively square-shaped, upper surface that articulates with the tibia and fibula to form the ankle joint.

Inferiorly, the talus articulates with the calcaneus heel bone , the largest bone of the foot, which forms the heel. Body weight is transferred from the tibia to the talus to the calcaneus, which rests on the ground.

The cuboid bone articulates with the anterior end of the calcaneus bone. The cuboid has a deep groove running across its inferior surface, which provides passage for a muscle tendon. These bones are the medial cuneiform , the intermediate cuneiform , and the lateral cuneiform.