femur
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /fˈiːmə/
US
- /ˈfimər/
Description
- thigh bone
- upper leg bone
- longest bone in the body
- supports walking and standing
Imagine your leg as a strong frame that holds you up and helps you move. The femur, or thigh bone, is the long bone that runs from your hip to your knee. It is the longest and strongest bone in the human body. It plays a major role in standing, walking, running, and jumping because it supports much of your body weight. Doctors often talk about the femur when they check for broken bones, pain, or other problems in the upper leg.
The femur is the thigh bone, the large bone in the upper leg that connects the hip to the knee. It is the longest and strongest bone in the human body, and it carries a great deal of your weight every day. Because of this, it is essential for basic movement such as standing, walking, running, jumping, and keeping your balance.
This bone has several important parts. The rounded head at the top fits into the hip socket, the long middle section forms the shaft, and the lower end helps make the knee joint. Muscles attach to it and use it to move the leg, so it is a key part of how the body moves with strength and control.
You will most often see the word in anatomy, medicine, sports injuries, and school science. A broken femur is a serious injury because damage to this bone can make movement very hard and may need urgent treatment. In everyday conversation, people usually say "thigh bone" or simply talk about the upper leg, but "femur" is the correct term when speaking more precisely about the body.
Examples
- 1
Medical diagnosis
The doctor said the fall had caused a small crack in her femur.
Meaning
the femur
the large bone in the upper leg
- 2
Car accident
He needed surgery after breaking his femur in a car accident.
- 3
Medical scan
The scan showed that both femurs were developing normally.
Forms and spellings
3 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- femurnoun
Forms
- femurspluralnoun
- femorapluralnoun