What is the thigh also called?

By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica | View Edit History. femur, also called thighbone, upper bone of the leg or hind leg. The head forms a ball-and-socket joint with the hip (at the acetabulum), being held in place by a ligament (ligamentum teres femoris) within the socket and by strong surrounding ligaments.

What’s the difference between lap and knee?

A lap is only formed when you sit down. It is the area above your thighs when you sit down. It is where people often put their babies when they are sitting down. Knees are the joints in the middle of your legs.

Is thigh the same as quad?

A thigh describes the entire upper part of your leg while a quad is a muscle in the front of your thigh.

What is the side of your thigh called?

The three surface muscles of the quadriceps are the rectus femoris in the center, the vastus medialis on the medial side, and the vastus lateralis on the lateral side.

How many muscles are in your thigh?

Muscle compartments of the thigh – UpToDate. The thigh has three muscle compartments: Anterior compartment (pink) – Sartorius and quadriceps muscles (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis). The femoral nerve and superficial femoral artery supply these muscles.

What are the muscles at the top of your legs called?

The thigh has three sets of strong muscles: the hamstring muscles in the back of the thigh, the quadriceps muscles in the front, and the adductor muscles on the inside. The quadriceps and hamstrings work together to straighten (extend) and bend (flex) the leg. The adductor muscles pull the legs together.

What is the upper thigh bone called?

The thigh bone, or femur, is the large upper leg bone that connects the lower leg bones (knee joint) to the pelvic bone (hip joint).

What are the 3 thigh muscles?

The thigh has three muscle compartments:

• Anterior compartment (pink) – Sartorius and quadriceps muscles (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis).
• Medial compartment (green) – Pectineus, obturator externus, gracilis, and adductor muscles (longus, brevis, magnus, minimus).

What is the muscle on your front thigh called?

Quadriceps muscles on the front of the thigh. The hamstring and quadriceps muscle groups are particularly at risk for muscle strains because they cross both the hip and knee joints.