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Human leg
Lateral aspect of right leg
Latin	membrum inferius

In common usage, the human leg is the lower limb of the body, extending from the hip to the ankle, and including the thigh, the knee, and the cnemis.^[1] The largest bone in the human body, the femur, is in the leg.

In human anatomical terms, the leg is the part of the lower limb that lies between the knee and the ankle,^[2] the thigh is between the hip and knee and the term "lower limb" is used to describe the colloquial leg. This article generally follows the common usage.

The leg from the knee to the ankle is called the cnemis (nee'mis) or crus. The calf is the back portion and the shin is the front.

Legs are often used metaphorically in many cultures to indicate either strength or mobility. The supporting columns of an object may be referred to as legs as well, as in chair legs.

Contents 1 Function and cultural aspects 2 Anatomy 2.1 Muscles of the human lower limb 2.2 Vasculature of the leg 2.2.1 The arteries 2.2.2 The veins 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

Function and cultural aspects

Legs are often used for standing, walking, jumping, running, kicking, and similar activities, and are a significant portion of a person's mass.

Adolescent and adult females in many Western cultures often remove the hair from their legs. Toned, tanned, shaved legs are sometimes perceived as a sign of youthfulness and are often considered attractive in these cultures.

Anatomy

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Muscles of the human lower limb

see Table of muscles

• Tibialis anterior
• Extensor hallucis longus
• Extensor digitorum longus
• Fibularis tertius
• Triceps surae (calf muscle)
• Gastrocnemius
• Soleus
• Plantaris
• Popliteus
• Flexor hallucis longus
• Flexor digitorum longus
• Tibialis posterior
• Peroneus longus
• Peroneus brevis

Vasculature of the leg

The arteries

• Femoral artery
• Profunda femoris
• Superficial femoral artery
• Popliteal artery
• Tibial artery
  • Anterior tibial artery
  • Posterior tibial artery
• Fibular artery
• Arcuate artery

The veins

• Greater saphenous vein
• Lesser saphenous
• Femoral vein
• Popliteal vein
• Anterior tibial vein
• Posterior tibial vein
• Fibular vein

See also

• Distraction osteogenesis (leg lengthening)

References

External links

• Human leg fractures

v • d • e Human anatomical features Head Skull · Forehead · Eye · Ear · Nose · Mouth · Tongue · Teeth · Jaw · Face · Cheek · Chin Neck Throat · Adam's apple Torso Shoulders · Spine · Breast (Tail of Spence) · Chest · Ribcage · Abdomen · Navel Sex organs (Clitoris · Vagina · Penis · Scrotum · Testicle) – Hip · Anus · Buttocks Limbs Arm · Elbow · Forearm · Wrist · Hand · Finger (Thumb · Index · Middle · Ring · Little) · Leg · Lap · Thigh · Knee · Calf · Heel · Ankle · Foot · Toe (Hallux) Skin Hair

v • d • e General anatomy of lower limbs Buttocks Gluteal sulcus - Gluteal cleft Thigh Fascial compartments of thigh (Anterior, Medial, Posterior) Inguinal ligament • Pectineal ligament • Lacunar ligament • Reflected inguinal ligament • Conjoint tendon • Interfoveolar ligament Obturator membrane/Obturator canal Femoral triangle • Femoral sheath (Femoral canal) • Femoral ring Adductor canal • Adductor hiatus fascia/fascia lata (Iliotibial tract, Lateral intermuscular septum of thigh, Medial intermuscular septum of thigh, Fascia cribrosa/Saphenous opening) Crus (anatomic leg) Popliteal fossa • Calf • Shin • Pes anserinus • Interosseous membrane of the leg Fascial compartments of leg (Anterior, Lateral, Posterior) fascia/crural fascia (Anterior crural intermuscular septum, Posterior crural intermuscular septum, Transverse intermuscular septum) Foot Heel • Toe (Hallux, Fifth toe) • Sole • Achilles tendon • Tarsal tunnel fascia (Plantar fascia) retinacula (Peroneal, Inferior extensor, Superior extensor, Flexor)

v • d • e Bones of lower limbs Femur upper extremity head (fovea) – neck – greater trochanter (trochanteric fossa) – lesser trochanter – intertrochanteric line – intertrochanteric crest body linea aspera – gluteal tuberosity / third trochanter – pectineal line lower extremity adductor tubercle – epicondyles (lateral, medial) – condyles (lateral, medial) – patellar surface – intercondylar fossa Crus Tibia upper extremity intercondylar eminence (posterior intercondylar area, anterior intercondylar area, lateral intercondylar tubercle, medial intercondylar tubercle) – condyles (lateral, medial) body tuberosity – soleal line lower extremity medial malleolus – fibular notch Fibula head – body – lateral malleolus Other patella Foot Tarsus calcaneus (sustentaculum tali, trochlear process) – talus (body, neck, head) – navicular – cuboid – cuneiform (medial, intermediate, lateral) Metatarsus 1st metatarsal – 2nd – 3rd – 4th – 5th Other phalanges of the foot

v • d • e Joints and ligaments of lower limbs Coxal/hip femoral (iliofemoral, pubofemoral, ischiofemoral) - head of femur - transverse acetabular Knee-joint extracapsular: patellar - popliteal (oblique, arcuate) - collateral (medial/tibial, fibular/lateral) intracapsular: cruciate (anterior, posterior) - menisci (medial, lateral) - transverse Tibiofibular Superior tibiofibular: anterior of the head of the fibula - posterior of the head of the fibula Inferior tibiofibular: anterior of the lateral malleolus - posterior of the lateral malleolus Talocrural/ankle medial: medial of talocrural joint/deltoid (anterior tibiotalar, posterior tibiotalar, tibiocalcaneal, tibionavicular) lateral: lateral collateral of ankle joint (anterior talofibular, posterior talofibular, calcaneofibular) Foot Subtalar/talocalcaneal anterior/posterior - lateral/medial - interosseous Transverse tarsal Talocalcaneonavicular: dorsal talonavicular - plantar calcaneonavicular/spring - bifurcated (calcaneonavicular) Calcaneocuboid: dorsal calcaneocuboid - long plantar - plantar calcaneocuboid - bifurcated (calcaneocuboid) Distal intertarsal Cuneonavicular: plantar - dorsal Cuboideonavicular: plantar - dorsal Intercuneiform: plantar - dorsal - interosseous Other Tarsometatarsal/Lisfranc: plantar - dorsal Intermetatarsal/metatarsal: plantar - dorsal - interosseous - superficial transverse - deep transverse Metatarsophalangeal: plantar - collateral Interphalangeal: plantar - collateral Arches Longitudinal - Transverse

v • d • e List of muscles of lower limbs ILIAC Region / ILIOPSOAS psoas major/psoas minor - iliacus BUTTOCKS gluteals: (maximus, medius, minimus) - tensor fasciae latae lateral rotator group: piriformis - inferior gemellus - obturator internus - superior gemellus - quadratus femoris THIGH Anterior sartorius - quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis) - articularis genu Posterior/hamstring biceps femoris - semitendinosus - semimembranosus Medial pectineus - obturator externus - gracilis - adductor (longus, brevis, magnus) LEG Anterior tibialis anterior - extensor hallucis longus - extensor digitorum longus - peroneus tertius Posterior superficial - calf/triceps surae (gastrocnemius, soleus) - plantaris deep - tarsal tunnel (flexor hallucis longus, flexor digitorum longus, tibialis posterior) - popliteus Lateral peroneus muscles (longus, brevis) FOOT Dorsal extensor hallucis brevis - extensor digitorum brevis Plantar 1st layer (abductor hallucis, flexor digitorum brevis, abductor digiti minimi) 2nd layer (quadratus plantae, lumbrical muscle) 3rd layer (flexor hallucis brevis, adductor hallucis, flexor digiti minimi brevis) 4th layer (dorsal interossei, plantar interossei)

v • d • e List of arteries of lower limbs EI: Femoral superficial epigastric – superficial iliac circumflex external pudendal: superficial – deep (anterior scrotal) profunda femoris: lateral circumflex femoral (descending, transverse, ascending) – medial circumflex femoral (ascending, superficial, deep, acetabular) – perforating descending genicular (saphenous branch, articular branches) Popliteal sural genicular: superior genicular (medial, lateral) – middle genicular – inferior genicular (medial, lateral) Anterior tibial tibial recurrent (posterior, anterior) anterior malleolar (medial, lateral) dorsalis pedis: tarsal (medial, lateral) Posterior tibial circumflex fibular – fibular medial plantar – lateral plantar Arches arcuate: dorsal metatarsal / first dorsal metatarsal – deep plantar – dorsal digital arteries plantar arch: plantar metatarsal – common plantar digital – proper plantar digital

v • d • e Veins of lower limbs thigh femoral • profunda femoris • popliteal deep leg fibular • anterior tibial • posterior tibial superficial leg small saphenous • great saphenous (external pudendal, superficial of penis ♂/clitoris ♀) foot dorsal arch • dorsal metatarsal • dorsal digital • plantar arch • plantar metatarsal • common digital • plantar digital

v • d • e Nerves of lower limbs and lower torso: the lumbosacral plexus (L1-Co) lumbar plexus (L1-L4) iliohypogastric lateral cutaneous branch - anterior cutaneous branch ilioinguinal anterior scrotal ♂/labial ♀ genitofemoral femoral branch/lumboinguinal - genital branch lateral cutaneous of thigh patellar obturator anterior (cutaneous) - posterior - accessory femoral anterior cutaneous branches - saphenous (infrapatellar, medial crural cutaneous) sacral plexus (L4-S4) sciatic common fibular: lateral sural cutaneous (sural communicating branch) - deep fibular (lateral terminal branch, medial terminal branch, dorsal digital) - superficial fibular (medial dorsal cutaneous, intermediate dorsal cutaneous, dorsal digital) tibial: medial sural cutaneous - medial calcaneal - medial plantar (common plantar digital nerves, proper plantar digital) - lateral plantar (deep branch, superficial branch, common plantar digital, proper plantar digital) sural: lateral dorsal cutaneous - lateral calcaneal other muscular: superior gluteal/inferior gluteal - lateral rotator group (to quadratus femoris, to obturator internus, to the piriformis) cutaneous: posterior cutaneous of thigh (inferior cluneal, perineal branches) - perforating cutaneous coccygeal plexus (S4-Co) pudendal: inferior anal - perineal (deep, posterior scrotal ♂/labial ♀) - dorsal of the penis ♂/clitoris ♀ anococcygeal cutaneous innervation of the lower limbs

v • d • e Lymphatics of lower limbs Inguinal Deep inguinal - Superficial inguinal Other Popliteal

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