Skeleton of free lower limb

Skeleton partis liberae membri inferioris

  • Latin synonym: Skeleton membri inferioris liberi; Skeleton extremitatis inferioris liberae; Skeleton extremitatis pelvinae liberae

Definition

The skeleton of free lower limb consists of several bones, including:

  • The femur (thigh bone)

  • The patella (knee cap)

  • The tibia and fibula (leg bones)

  • The tarsal bones, metatarsals, and phalanges (foot bones) → The tarsal bones include the calcaneum, talus, navicular, cuboid, and three cuneiform bones (medial, intermediate, and lateral). There are five metatarsal bones. Each toe consists of three phalanges, except for the big toe, which has only two phalanges.

Please refer to the skeleton of lower limbs for more information.

References

Text written by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2023 IMAIOS.

  • Drake, R.L., Vogl, A.W. and Mitchell, A.W.M. (2009). ‘Chapter 6: Lower Limb’ in Gray’s anatomy for Students. (2nd ed.) Philadelphia PA 19103-2899: Elsevier, pp.517-518.

  • Anderson, B.W., Ekblad, J. and Bordoni, B. Anatomy, Appendicular Skeleton. [Updated 2022 Jul 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535397/