The thigh-bone or femur (Fig. 25) is a very large and strong bone, and presents a shaft (A) with a rough ridge on the back for the attach ment of muscles. At its upper extremity, besides the globular head (i) already mentioned, it has two rough prominences, one large and external (A the other small and. internal (3). These arc called the large and small trochanters. The former can be felt just be neath the skin on the outer side of the hip-joint. The lower end of the femur is broad and irregularly shaped, and has two enlargements, one to the inner, the other to the outer side, called con dyles, and fitted for forming a hinge joint with the suc ceeding bone of the leg. The leg has two bones, the inner called Tibia or shin-bone (Fig. 25, 1), the outer called Fibula or clasp bone (2). The tibia is much the larger of the two, and above is con nected with the thigh-bone (at b) to form the knee joint, the fibula being attached to the outer side of its head. In front of the knee joint, situ ated within a tendon, is the knee-cap or patella (shown in Fig. 25, 3, but out of position).
The lower end of the tibia and of the fibula enter into the ankle joint, the weight being conducted to the foot by the tibia. The lower end of the tibia projects on the inside of the joint, and the lower end of the fibula has a similar prominent process on the outside of the joint.
These processes are termed Malleoli.
The Foot (Fig. 26) consists of three parts, like the hand, Tarsus, Metatarsus, and Pha. langes. The tarsus consists of seven bones, viz.: os calcis or bone (t), the astragalus or ankle-bone (2), ing above the os calcis and supporting the tibia, the cuboid (a), in front of the os calcis, the scaphoid (4), in front of the astragalus, and in front of the scaphoid are the internal (s), middle (s), and external (7), cuneiform. Like the five metacarpal bones forming the palm of the hand, succeeding the tarsus are five metatarsal bones forming the sole of the foot (m). To these succeed the bones of the toes, each toe having three phalanges (p), except the great toe, which has only two. Here the resemblance to the fingers and thumb is apparent.