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Human leg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In common usage, a 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[2] that lies between the knee and the ankle.[3][4] This article generally follows the common usage.
The leg from the knee to the ankle is called the cnemis (nee'mis) or crus[5]. 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.
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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.
Anterior compartment of the thigh
- Quadriceps femoris, which is composed of:
- Sartorius
- Tensor fascia lata
Medial compartment of the thigh
Posterior compartment of the thigh
The anterior compartment
The posterior compartment
(all these muscles are at the distal end attached to the calcaneus by the Achilles' tendon)
The deep posterior compartment
The lateral compartment
- Femoral artery
- Profunda femoris
- Superficial femoral artery
- Popliteal artery
- Tibial artery
- Fibular artery
- Arcuate artery
- Greater saphenous vein
- Lesser saphenous vein
- Femoral vein
- Popliteal vein
- Anterior tibial vein
- Posterior tibial vein
- Fibular vein
- Distraction osteogenesis (leg lengthening)
- ^ MW Dictionary leg
- ^ l_10/12493851 at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
- ^ leg at eMedicine Dictionary
- ^ l_06/12482031 at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
- ^ c_64/12267973 at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
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| Head | Skull · Forehead · Eye · Ear · Nose · Mouth · Tongue · Teeth · Jaw · Face · Cheek · Chin |
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| 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 |
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| Limbs | Arm · Elbow · Forearm · Wrist · Hand · Finger (Thumb · Index · Middle · Ring · Little) · Leg · Lap · Thigh · Knee · Calf · Heel · Ankle · Foot · Toe (Hallux) | |
| Skin | Hair | |
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| EI: Femoral | superficial epigastric - superficial iliac circumflex - external pudendal (superficial, deep/anterior scrotal arteries) - profunda femoris (lateral circumflex femoral, medial circumflex femoral, perforating) - descending genicular |
| Popliteal | anterior tibial - sural genicular: superior genicular (medial, lateral) - middle genicular - inferior genicular (medial, lateral) |
| Anterior tibial | dorsalis pedis: tarsal (lateral - medial) - arcuate - dorsal metatarsal/first dorsal metatarsal - deep plantar
tibial recurrent (posterior, anterior) anterior malleolar (medial, lateral) |
| Posterior tibial | circumflex fibular - fibular medial plantar - lateral plantar (plantar arch, plantar metatarsal) |
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| 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 |
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| Inguinal | Deep inguinal - Superficial inguinal |
| Other | Popliteal |