Femur Bone Unlabeled, Front and Back

The thigh bone from the front and from behind: 17 landmarks to name.

Femur Bone Unlabeled, Front and Back

Name Date

Tap the linea aspera

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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Head of the femur
  2. Fovea capitis
  3. Neck of the femur
  4. Greater trochanter
  5. Lesser trochanter
  6. Intertrochanteric line
  7. Intertrochanteric crest
  8. Shaft
  9. Gluteal tuberosity
  10. Linea aspera
  11. Patellar surface
  12. Medial epicondyle
  13. Lateral epicondyle
  14. Adductor tubercle
  15. Medial condyle
  16. Lateral condyle
  17. Intercondylar fossa

Drawn for this site on 2026-10-04 by script. Licence: own drawing; outlines after public domain plates.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the joints where bones meet

All 17 parts on the diagram

Show the list

Start here: 6 main parts 6

  1. Head of the femur The rounded top of the femur. It fits the acetabulum of the hip bone to form the hip joint.
  2. Neck of the femur The narrow part below the head. A common place for the femur to break.
  3. Greater trochanter The large projection on the lateral side, where hip muscles attach. It is above the base of the neck and can be felt under the skin.
  4. Lesser trochanter A small projection on the medial side just below the neck. One powerful muscle attaches here.
  5. Linea aspera The rough ridge down the back of the middle femur. The name means rough line. Many hip and thigh muscles attach along it.
  6. Patellar surface The smooth groove on the front of the knee end. The patella glides here.

The hip end: 7 3

  1. Fovea capitis A small pit on the medial side of the head. The ligament of the head of the femur attaches here.
  2. Intertrochanteric line A rough line on the front of the femur. It runs between the greater and lesser trochanters.
  3. Intertrochanteric crest The larger ridge joining the trochanters on the back of the femur.

The shaft: 3 2

  1. Shaft The long body of the femur, bowed slightly forward.
  2. Gluteal tuberosity A rough area on the back of the shaft. It runs down from the greater trochanter.

The knee end: 7 6

  1. Medial epicondyle The rough bump on the medial side of the knee end. For knee muscles and ligaments.
  2. Lateral epicondyle The rough bump on the lateral side of the knee end. For knee muscles and ligaments.
  3. Adductor tubercle A small bump at the top of the medial epicondyle.
  4. Medial condyle The smooth rounded knob on the medial side of the knee end. It joins the tibia.
  5. Lateral condyle The smooth rounded knob on the lateral side of the knee end. It joins the tibia.
  6. Intercondylar fossa The deep hollow between the two condyles on the back.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-26. OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 8.4 Bones of the Lower Limb, https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/8-4-bones-of-the-lower-limb : the head of the femur joining the acetabulum; the fovea capitis on the medial head for the ligament of the head of the femur; the neck below the head, a common fracture site; the greater trochanter above the base of the neck, lateral and felt under the skin; the lesser trochanter medial below the neck for a single powerful muscle; the intertrochanteric line between them on the front and the larger intertrochanteric crest on the back; the shaft bowed slightly forward; the gluteal tuberosity running down from the greater trochanter on the back and continuing as the linea aspera (rough line) for many hip and thigh muscles; the lateral and medial condyles joining the tibia and the rough epicondyles beside them; the adductor tubercle at the top of the medial epicondyle; the intercondylar fossa between the condyles behind; the patellar surface in front for the patella. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-04 by script. The two outlines were read off two public domain plates: Henry Vandyke Carter's drawings in Henry Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body (1918 edition), fig. 244 'Right femur. Anterior surface' and fig. 245 'Right femur. Posterior surface' (Wikimedia Commons, File:Gray244.png and File:Gray245.png, public domain). The inner lines, tints and hatching are our own, placed against the same plates. Licence: own drawing; outlines after public domain plates

How it works

The femur bone unlabeled, front and back: the right thigh bone with the hip end at the top and the knee end below. Start with the 6 main parts, then every landmark, from the fovea capitis to the intercondylar fossa.

Read the full guide

The hip end

The head fits the hip socket, with the small fovea capitis on it. Below is the neck. The greater trochanter stands up on the outer side and the lesser trochanter sits lower on the inner side; the intertrochanteric line joins them in front and the thicker crest behind.

The shaft and knee end

Behind, the gluteal tuberosity runs down into the linea aspera. At the knee, the medial and lateral condyles meet the tibia, with the intercondylar fossa between them. In front, the patellar surface takes the kneecap, with an epicondyle on each side.

  • Line in front, crest behind: both join the two trochanters.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between the greater and lesser trochanter?

The greater trochanter is the big knob on the outer side at the top, which you can feel under the skin. The lesser trochanter is a small knob on the inner side just below the neck.

What is the linea aspera?

A rough ridge down the back of the femur's shaft. The name means rough line, and many hip and thigh muscles attach along it.

What is the difference between a condyle and an epicondyle?

The condyles are the smooth knobs that form the knee joint with the tibia. The epicondyles are the rough bumps on their outer sides, where muscles and ligaments attach.

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