Lower Extremities

The Lower Extremity is composed of the following bones.

The thigh, a single bone called the femur or thighbone. The femur is the longest, largest, and strongest bone in the body.

The leg is the region from the knee to the ankle. It is formed by the fibula on side away from the body (lateral side) and the tibia, also called the shin bone, on the side nearest the body (medial side). The tibia connects to the femur to form the knee joint and with the talus, a foot bone, to allow the ankle to flex and extend. The tibia is larger than the fibula because it bears most of the weight, while the fibula serves as an area for muscle attachment.

The foot contains the 26 bones of the ankle, instep, and the five toes. The ankle, or tarsus, is composed of the 7 tarsal bones which correspond to the carpals in the wrist. The largest tarsal bone is called the calcaneus or heel bone. The talus rests on top of the calcaneus and is connected to the tibia. Directly in front of the talus is the navicular bone. The remaining bones from medial to lateral are the medial, intermediate, the lateral cuneiform bones, and the cuboid bone. The foot has 5 metatarsal bones and 14 phalanges bones. Two arches are formed by the structure and arrangement of the bones and are maintained by tendons and ligaments.

The patella or knee cap is a large, triangular bone between the femur and the tibia. It is formed in response to the strain in the tendon that forms the knee. The patella protects the knee joint and strengthens the tendon that forms the knee.

The bones of the lower extremities are the heaviest, largest, and strongest bones in the body because they must bear the entire weight of the body when a person is standing in the upright position.

Bird and Cronin offers a wide selection of products for the lower extremities when injuries occur that we feel will help you recover. Knee immobilizers, post op shoes, knee and leg supports, ankle walkers, braces and supports, foot orthotics, plantar fasciitis and post op shoes.