Anatomy of Lower Limb Bones

Bones of the Lower Limb

• Femur (thigh bone): longest and strongest bone in the body, connects hip joint to knee joint
• Patella (kneecap): triangular bone that sits at the front of the knee joint
• Tibia (shin bone): larger of the two bones in the lower leg, connects knee joint to ankle joint
• Fibula: smaller of the two bones in the lower leg, connects knee joint to ankle joint
• Tarsal bones: 7 bones in the ankle, forming the hindfoot and midfoot
• Metatarsal bones: 5 bones in the foot, connecting the tarsal bones to the phalanges
• Phalanges: 14 bones in the toes, 2 in the great toe and 3 in each of the other toes

Joints of the Lower Limb

• Hip joint: ball-and-socket joint between the femur and pelvis
• Knee joint: hinge joint between the femur and tibia
• Ankle joint: hinge joint between the tibia and fibula and the tarsal bones
• Subtalar joint: joint between the talus and calcaneus bones in the ankle
• Metatarsophalangeal joints: joints between the metatarsal bones and phalanges in the toes
• Interphalangeal joints: joints between the phalanges in the toes

Muscles of the Lower Limb

• Gluteal muscles: group of muscles in the buttocks, including gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus
• Hamstring muscles: group of muscles in the back of the thigh, including biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus
• Quadriceps muscles: group of muscles in the front of the thigh, including rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius
• Calf muscles: group of muscles in the lower leg, including gastrocnemius and soleus
• Intrinsic foot muscles: group of muscles in the foot, including flexor digitorum brevis and extensor digitorum brevis

Blood Supply and Nerve Supply of the Lower Limb

• Femoral artery: main artery of the lower limb, supplying the thigh and knee
• Popliteal artery: artery that supplies the knee and lower leg
• Tibial artery: artery that supplies the lower leg and foot
• Fibular artery: artery that supplies the lower leg and foot
• Sciatic nerve: nerve that supplies the lower limb, including the thigh, knee, and lower leg
• Tibial nerve: nerve that supplies the lower leg and foot
• Fibular nerve: nerve that supplies the lower leg and foot

Bones of the Lower Limb

• Longest and strongest bone in the body is the femur, which connects the hip joint to the knee joint
• Patella is a triangular bone that sits at the front of the knee joint
• Larger bone in the lower leg is the tibia, which connects the knee joint to the ankle joint
• Fibula is the smaller bone in the lower leg, connecting the knee joint to the ankle joint
• 7 bones in the ankle form the hindfoot and midfoot, known as the tarsal bones
• 5 bones in the foot connect the tarsal bones to the phalanges, known as the metatarsal bones
• 14 bones in the toes, with 2 in the great toe and 3 in each of the other toes, are called phalanges

Joints of the Lower Limb

• Hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint between the femur and pelvis
• Knee joint is a hinge joint between the femur and tibia
• Ankle joint is a hinge joint between the tibia and fibula and the tarsal bones
• Subtalar joint is a joint between the talus and calcaneus bones in the ankle
• Joints between the metatarsal bones and phalanges in the toes are called metatarsophalangeal joints
• Joints between the phalanges in the toes are called interphalangeal joints

Muscles of the Lower Limb

• Gluteal muscles include gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus, and are located in the buttocks
• Hamstring muscles include biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus, and are located in the back of the thigh
• Quadriceps muscles include rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius, and are located in the front of the thigh
• Calf muscles include gastrocnemius and soleus, and are located in the lower leg
• Intrinsic foot muscles include flexor digitorum brevis and extensor digitorum brevis, and are located in the foot

Blood Supply and Nerve Supply of the Lower Limb

• Main artery of the lower limb is the femoral artery, which supplies the thigh and knee
• Popliteal artery supplies the knee and lower leg
• Tibial artery supplies the lower leg and foot
• Fibular artery supplies the lower leg and foot
• Sciatic nerve supplies the lower limb, including the thigh, knee, and lower leg
• Tibial nerve supplies the lower leg and foot
• Fibular nerve supplies the lower leg and foot