Lower limb anatomy

The lower limb carries the weight of the body and moves it. Its skeleton is the hip bone, the femur, the patella, the tibia and fibula of the leg, and the bones of the foot. Its muscles work in groups with a shared job: the gluteal muscles at the hip, the quadriceps in front of the thigh, the adductors on its inner side and the hamstrings behind it, then the three compartments of the leg that move the ankle and the toes.

Bones of the lower limb

Calcaneus (heel bone)Calcaneus Cuboid boneOs cuboideum Cuneiform bones (medial, intermediate, lateral)Ossa cuneiformia (mediale, intermedium, laterale) FemurFemur FibulaFibula Hip boneOs coxae Metatarsal bones (1 to 5)Ossa metatarsi Navicular bone (foot)Os naviculare Patella (kneecap)Patella Phalanges of the footOssa digitorum pedis (phalanges) Talus (ankle bone)Talus TibiaTibia

Tables: Foot bones

Muscles of the lower limb

Hip muscles 10 with a page · full table →

Gluteus maximusMusculus gluteus maximus Gluteus mediusMusculus gluteus medius Gluteus minimusMusculus gluteus minimus Tensor fasciae lataeMusculus tensor fasciae latae PiriformisMusculus piriformis Superior gemellusMusculus gemellus superior Obturator internusMusculus obturatorius internus Inferior gemellusMusculus gemellus inferior IliacusMusculus iliacus Psoas majorMusculus psoas major

Thigh muscles 14 with a page · full table →

Rectus femorisMusculus rectus femoris Vastus lateralisMusculus vastus lateralis Vastus medialisMusculus vastus medialis Vastus intermediusMusculus vastus intermedius SartoriusMusculus sartorius Adductor longusMusculus adductor longus Adductor brevisMusculus adductor brevis Adductor magnusMusculus adductor magnus GracilisMusculus gracilis PectineusMusculus pectineus Obturator externusMusculus obturatorius externus Biceps femorisMusculus biceps femoris SemimembranosusMusculus semimembranosus Tensor fasciae lataeMusculus tensor fasciae latae

Leg muscles 10 with a page · full table →

Tibialis anteriorMusculus tibialis anterior Extensor digitorum longusMusculus extensor digitorum longus Extensor hallucis longusMusculus extensor hallucis longus Fibularis longusMusculus fibularis longus Fibularis brevisMusculus fibularis brevis GastrocnemiusMusculus gastrocnemius SoleusMusculus soleus Tibialis posteriorMusculus tibialis posterior Flexor digitorum longusMusculus flexor digitorum longus Flexor hallucis longusMusculus flexor hallucis longus

Other muscles

Abductor digiti minimi of the footMusculus abductor digiti minimi pedis Abductor hallucisMusculus abductor hallucis Extensor digitorum brevisMusculus extensor digitorum brevis Extensor hallucis brevisMusculus extensor hallucis brevis Flexor digitorum brevisMusculus flexor digitorum brevis SemitendinosusMusculus semitendinosus

Test yourself

Name it, find it, light them all on a real 3D body, in 3 levels. Free, in the browser.

Hip and thigh quiz 27 structures in 3 levels. Leg and foot quiz 45 structures in 3 levels. Lower limb muscles quiz 39 structures in 3 levels. Skeleton quiz 96 structures in 3 levels.