Human Femur

6 Functions of the Human Femur and Its Anatomy

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Before reading, take a look at your thighs. With the naked eye, surely you will see that the thigh has a different size than the others, right? Yes, you are not wrong. The difference in size is because the thigh has a fairly long bone. There is even a nickname that this bone is called the longest bone in the human body.

This nickname is certainly in line with its function. Anything? Check out the IDN Times discussion about the function of the femur below!

Definition of the Thigh Bone

The femur has a Latin word, namely  Femur. As explained above, the femur is the longest bone in the human body. The length corresponds to the height of the human body. The taller the body, the more thigh bone will follow.

Human Femur

However, writes Healthline, the femur has earned the nickname not only the longest bone but also the strongest and hardest bone. This is because this bone is able to withstand a load of approximately 1,800 to 2,500 pounds (equivalent to 800 kg). However, if a fracture occurs, the femur will take a longer time to heal.

Anatomy of the femur

As reported by Verywellhealth, anatomically the femur has several parts, including:

Anatomy of the femur

  1. Head ( Head ). It is at the end of the femur at the top. It is circular in shape and forms a hip joint that allows the foot to move in all directions.
  2. Trochanter ( Trochanter ). This section is after the head. Serves as a place for attaching muscles that help humans to move using their feet.
  3. Bone stem. The function of this section is to connect the top of the femur to the kneecap and shinbone.
  4. Epicondyle ( Epicondyle ). It is at the lower end of the femur. In this section there is a cavity that contains bone marrow and has many small cavities called sponges.

Functions of the thigh bone

Not only to hold the human body, but the thigh bone also has a number of other functions, including:

  1. Helping human movement
  2. Muscle attachment point
  3. Make the body stable when moving
  4. Place of production of blood cells
  5. Supports the body’s immune function
  6. Fat storage

Those are the 6 functions of the human femur. You could say this bone is one of the bones that has many advantages, yes!

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