Lower extremity of femur Lower extremity of femur The lower extremity of femur (or distal extremity) is the lower end of the thigh bone in human and other animals, closer to the knee. It is larger than the upper extremity of femur, is somewhat cuboid in form, but its transverse diameter is greater than its antero-posterior; it consists of two oblong eminences known as the condyles. Anteriorly, the condyles are slightly prominent and are separated by a smooth shallow articular depression called the patellar surface. Posteriorly, they project considerably and a deep notch, the intercondylar fossa of femur, is present between them. The lateral
Femur the bone. Some species of whales, snakes, and other non-walking vertebrates have vestigial femurs. One of the earliest known vertebrates to have a femur is the "eusthenopteron", a prehistoric lobe-finned fish from the Late Devonian period. Structures analogous to the third trochanter are present in mammals, including some primates. In invertebrate zoology the name "femur" appears in arthropodology. The usage is not homologous with that of vertebrate anatomy; the term "femur" simply has been adopted by analogy and refers, where applicable, to the most proximal of (usually) the two longest jointed segments of the legs of the arthropoda. The two