femur

fe·mur   (fē'mər)    (click for larger image in new window) n.   pl. fe·murs or fem·o·ra (fěm'ər-ə) A bone of the leg situated between the pelvis and knee in humans. It is the largest and strongest bone in the body. A functionally similar bone in the leg or hind limb of a vertebrate animal. Also called thighbone. The thick, most muscular segment of the insect leg, situated between the trochanter and the tibia. [Latin, thigh.]

femur 

Main Entry: fe·mur
Pronunciation: 'fE-m&r
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural fe·murs or fem·o·ra /'fem-(&-)r&/
1 : the proximal bone of the hind or lower limb that is the longest and largest bone in the human body, extends from the hip to the knee,articulates above with the acetabulum by a rounded head connected with the shaft of the bone by an oblique neck bearing a pair of trochanters for the attachment of muscles, and articulates with thetibia below by a pair of condyles called also thighbone
2 : the segment of an insect's leg that is third from the body

femur fe·mur (fē'mər)
n. pl. fe·murs or fem·o·ra (fěm'ər-ə)

1. See thigh.

2. The long bone of the thigh, and the longest and strongest bone in the human body, situated between the pelvis and the knee and articulating with the hipbone and with the tibia and patella. Also called thighbone.

femur

upper bone of the leg or hind leg. The head forms a ball-and-socket joint with the hip (at the acetabulum), being held in place by a ligament (ligamentum teres femoris) within the socket and by strong surrounding ligaments. In humans the neck of the femur connects the shaft and head at a 125 angle, which is efficient for walking. A prominence of the femur at the outside top of the thigh provides attachment for the gluteus medius and minimus muscles. The shaft is somewhat convex forward and strengthened behind by a pillar of bone called the linea aspera. Two large prominences, or condyles, on either side of the lower end of the femur form the upper half of the knee joint, which is completed below by the tibia (shin) and patella (kneecap). Internally, the femur shows the development of arcs of bone called trabeculae that are efficiently arranged to transmit pressure and resist stress. Human femurs have been shown to be capable of resisting compression forces of 800-1,100 kg (1,800-2,500 pounds)

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