HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The linea aspera ( la, rough line) is a ridge of roughened surface on the posterior surface of the
shaft Shaft may refer to: Rotating machine elements * Shaft (mechanical engineering), a rotating machine element used to transmit power * Line shaft, a power transmission system * Drive shaft, a shaft for transferring torque * Axle, a shaft around whi ...
of the
femur The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates ...
. It is the site of attachments of
muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of mus ...
s and the intermuscular
septum In biology, a septum (Latin for ''something that encloses''; plural septa) is a wall, dividing a cavity or structure into smaller ones. A cavity or structure divided in this way may be referred to as septate. Examples Human anatomy * Interat ...
. Its margins diverge above and below. The linea aspera is a prominent longitudinal ridge or crest, on the middle third of the bone, presenting a medial and a lateral lip, and a narrow rough, intermediate line. It is an important insertion point for the adductors and the
lateral Lateral is a geometric term of location which may refer to: Healthcare *Lateral (anatomy), an anatomical direction * Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle * Lateral release (surgery), a surgical procedure on the side of a kneecap Phonetics *Lateral co ...
and medial intermuscular septa that divides the thigh into three compartments. The tension generated by muscle attached to the bones is responsible for the formation of the ridges.


Structure


Above

Above, the linea aspera is prolonged by three ridges. * The lateral ridge is very rough, and runs almost vertically upward to the base of the
greater trochanter The greater trochanter of the femur is a large, irregular, quadrilateral eminence and a part of the skeletal system. It is directed lateral and medially and slightly posterior. In the adult it is about 2–4 cm lower than the femoral head.Stan ...
. It is termed the
gluteal tuberosity The gluteal tuberosity is the lateral one of the three upward prolongations of the linea aspera of the femur, extending to the base of the greater trochanter. It serves as the principal insertion site for the gluteus maximus muscle. Structure ...
, and gives attachment to part of the
gluteus maximus The gluteus maximus is the main extensor muscle of the hip. It is the largest and outermost of the three gluteal muscles and makes up a large part of the shape and appearance of each side of the hips. It is the single largest muscle in the huma ...
: its upper part is often elongated into a roughened crest, on which a more or less well-marked, rounded tubercle, the
third trochanter In human anatomy, the third trochanter is a bony projection occasionally present on the proximal femur near the superior border of the gluteal tuberosity. When present, it is oblong, rounded, or conical in shape and sometimes continuous with the g ...
, is occasionally developed. * The intermediate ridge or pectineal line is continued to the base of the
lesser trochanter The lesser trochanter is a conical posteromedial bony projection of the femoral shaft. it serves as the principal insertion site of the iliopsoas muscle. Structure The lesser trochanter is a conical posteromedial projection of the shaft of the fe ...
and gives attachment to the pectineus muscle; * the medial ridge is lost in the
intertrochanteric line The intertrochanteric line (or ''spiral line of the femur''White (2005), p 256 ) is a line located on the anterior side of the proximal end of the femur. Structure The rough, variable ridge stretches between the lesser trochanter and the greater ...
; between the intermediate and medial ridges a portion of the iliacus muscle is inserted.


Below

Below, the linea aspera is prolonged into two ridges, enclosing between them a triangular area, the ''popliteal surface'', upon which the
popliteal artery The popliteal artery is a deeply placed continuation of the femoral artery opening in the distal portion of the adductor magnus muscle. It courses through the popliteal fossa and ends at the lower border of the popliteus muscle, where it branche ...
rests. * Of these two ridges, the lateral is the more prominent, and descends to the summit of the lateral condyle. * The medial is less marked, especially at its upper part, where it is crossed by the
femoral artery The femoral artery is a large artery in the thigh and the main arterial supply to the thigh and leg. The femoral artery gives off the deep femoral artery or profunda femoris artery and descends along the anteromedial part of the thigh in the f ...
. It ends below at the summit of the medial condyle, in a small tubercle, the
adductor tubercle The adductor tubercle is a tubercle on the lower extremity of the femur. It is formed where the medial lips of the linea aspera end below at the summit of the medial condyle. It is the insertion point of the tendon of the vertical fibers of the ...
, which affords insertion to the tendon of the
adductor magnus Adductor may refer to: * One of the anatomical terms of motion Motion, the process of movement, is described using specific anatomical terms. Motion includes movement of organs, joints, limbs, and specific sections of the body. The terminolo ...
.


Development

The tension generated by muscle attached to the bones is responsible for the formation of the ridges.


Function

A number of muscles attach to the linea aspera: * From the ''medial lip'' of the linea aspera and its prolongations above and below, the
vastus medialis muscle The vastus medialis (vastus internus or teardrop muscle) is an extensor muscle located medially in the thigh that extends the knee. The vastus medialis is part of the quadriceps muscle group. Structure The vastus medialis is a muscle present i ...
originates. * From the ''lateral lip'' and its upward prolongation, the
vastus lateralis muscle The vastus lateralis (), also called the vastus externus, is the largest and most powerful part of the quadriceps femoris, a muscle in the thigh. Together with other muscles of the quadriceps group, it serves to extend the knee joint, moving the ...
takes origin. * The adductor magnus muscle is inserted ''into the linea aspera'', and to its lateral prolongation above, and its medial prolongation below. * ''Between the vastus lateralis and the adductor magnus'' two muscles are ''attached'': ** the
gluteus maximus muscle The gluteal muscles, often called glutes are a group of three muscles which make up the gluteal region commonly known as the buttocks: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The three muscles originate from the ilium and sacr ...
inserted above, ** and the short head of the biceps femoris muscle originating below. * ''Between the adductor magnus and the vastus medialis'' four muscles are ''inserted'': ** the iliacus muscle and pectineus muscle above; ** the
adductor brevis muscle The adductor brevis is a muscle in the thigh situated immediately deep to the pectineus and adductor longus. It belongs to the adductor muscle group. The main function of the adductor brevis is to pull the thigh medially. The adductor brevis ...
and
adductor longus muscle In the human body, the adductor longus is a skeletal muscle located in the thigh. One of the adductor muscles of the hip, its main function is to adduct the thigh and it is innervated by the obturator nerve. It forms the medial wall of the femo ...
below. The linea aspera is perforated a little below its center by the
nutrient canal All bones possess larger or smaller foramina (openings) for the entrance of blood-vessels; these are known as the nutrient foramina, and are particularly large in the shafts of the larger long bones, where they lead into a nutrient canal, which ex ...
, which is directed obliquely upward.


Additional images

File:Gray432 color.png, Cross-section through the middle of the thigh.


References


External links


University of Washington


{{Authority control Bones of the lower limb Femur