Lower Limb Skeletal Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key anatomical terms of the femur, lower leg, and foot as discussed in the lecture notes.

Femur

The thigh bone; the longest and strongest bone in the body, located in the femoral region.

Femoral Region

Anatomical term referring to the thigh area that houses the femur and femoral artery.

Femoral Head

The rounded, proximal end of the femur that articulates with the acetabulum to form the hip’s ball-and-socket joint.

Acetabulum

The cup-shaped socket of the hip bone that receives the femoral head.

Femoral Neck

The narrowed portion of the femur just distal to the head.

Trochanter

A very large, rough projection on the femur for muscle attachment; larger than a tubercle.

Greater Trochanter

The larger, lateral trochanter on the proximal femur.

Lesser Trochanter

The smaller, medial-posterior trochanter on the proximal femur.

Tubercle

A smaller bony projection for muscle attachment; comparable to a trochanter but found on bones like the humerus.

Diaphysis

The shaft or long central portion of a long bone.

Epicondyle

A raised area above (epi-) a condyle that serves as an attachment site for ligaments and tendons.

Lateral Epicondyle (Femur)

The projection above the lateral condyle of the femur.

Medial Epicondyle (Femur)

The projection above the medial condyle of the femur.

Condyle

A smooth, rounded articular surface at the end of a bone.

Lateral Condyle (Femur)

The lateral articular surface at the distal femur, forming part of the knee joint.

Medial Condyle (Femur)

The medial articular surface at the distal femur, forming part of the knee joint.

Tibia

The larger, medial bone of the lower leg, commonly called the shin.

Fibula

The thinner, lateral bone of the lower leg.

Lateral Malleolus

The distal projection of the fibula that forms the outer bump of the ankle; commonly fractured in ankle injuries.

Medial Malleolus

The distal projection of the tibia that forms the inner bump of the ankle.

Tarsals

The group of ankle bones in the foot.

Calcaneus

The large tarsal bone forming the heel.

Metatarsals

The five long bones of the foot located between the tarsals and phalanges.

Phalanges (Foot)

The toe bones; each toe has proximal, middle, and distal phalanges except the big toe, which has only proximal and distal.