Fascia lata muscle. This band is continued downward under the name of the iliotibial band and is attached to the lateral condyle of the tibia. The part of the iliotibial band which lies beneath the tensor fasciae latae is prolonged upward to join the lateral part of the capsule of the hip joint. Below, the fascia lata is attached to all the prominent points around the knee joint, viz., the condyles of the femur and tibia, and the head of the fibula. On either side of the kneecap it is strengthened by transverse fibers from the lower parts of the vasti muscles
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