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Topic

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Body of femur

The body of the femur, also called the shaft or diaphysis of the femur, is the long, cylindrical portion between the proximal and distal ends of the femur. It is slightly bowed anteriorly and triangular in cross-section, with three surfaces (medial, lateral, posterior) and three borders (medial, lateral, and posterior).

The posterior border forms the prominent linea aspera, which serves as an attachment for multiple muscles of the thigh. Superiorly, the linea aspera diverges into the gluteal tuberosity laterally and the pectineal line medially, while inferiorly it splits into medial and lateral supracondylar ridges.

The body of the femur houses the medullary cavity, filled with yellow marrow in adults and red marrow in children. Its structure provides strength for weight-bearing while allowing muscle attachment for locomotion.

Clinically, the femoral shaft is prone to fractures, which are often the result of high-energy trauma. It is also relevant in orthopedic surgery, intramedullary nailing, tumor evaluation, and metabolic bone diseases.

Synonyms

  • Femoral shaft

  • Diaphysis of femur

  • Corpus femoris

Function

  • Provides weight-bearing support between hip and knee joints

  • Acts as a lever for thigh muscles during locomotion

  • Houses the medullary cavity for hematopoiesis (in children) and fat storage (in adults)

  • Serves as an attachment site for thigh muscles via linea aspera

Nerve Supply (related structures)

  • Periosteum: rich in sensory innervation from femoral and obturator nerves

  • Muscle attachments: innervated by femoral, obturator, sciatic, and gluteal nerves depending on compartment

Arterial Supply

  • Nutrient artery (branch of profunda femoris) entering the nutrient foramen on linea aspera

  • Periosteal branches of the medial and lateral circumflex femoral arteries

  • Metaphyseal and epiphyseal branches from surrounding arteries near the ends

Venous Drainage

  • Nutrient vein → profunda femoris vein → femoral vein

  • Periosteal venous plexuses → profunda femoris and femoral vein

MRI Appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Bone cortex: hypointense

  • Marrow: intermediate signal

  • Identifies avulsion fragments or marrow infiltration

T2-weighted images:

  • Bone cortex: dark hypointense

  • Marrow: intermediate to bright signal depending on fat/water ratio

  • Pathology (edema, tumor, infection) shows high signal compared to fatty marrow

PD Fat-Saturated (Proton Density with Fat Suppression):

  • Cortex: remains hypointense

  • Marrow edema, contusion, or stress injury: hyperintense

  • Useful in stress fractures and periosteal reaction detection

STIR:

  • Bone cortex: hypointense

  • Marrow edema and soft tissue inflammation: bright hyperintense

  • Highly sensitive for detecting occult fractures, bone bruises, infection, and neoplasms

T1 Post-Gadolinium (Fat-saturated):

  • Bone cortex: no enhancement

  • Marrow lesions/tumors: enhance variably (heterogeneous in neoplasm, rim in abscess)

  • Highlights osteomyelitis, neoplasms, vascular lesions, and postoperative changes

3D T2-weighted Imaging:

  • Bone cortex: dark rim

  • Marrow: intermediate to bright

  • Provides isotropic detail for fracture mapping, surgical planning, and morphological assessment

CT Appearance

Non-contrast CT:

  • Cortex: dense hyperattenuating cortical shell

  • Marrow cavity: lower attenuation

  • Gold standard for fracture evaluation, callus formation, cortical irregularities, and bone tumors

CT Post-Contrast:

  • Cortex: unchanged hyperdense

  • Soft tissue and marrow lesions: enhance variably depending on vascularity

  • Excellent for assessing osteomyelitis, tumors, and metastatic disease

CT VRT 3D image

Body of femur 3D IMAGE

CT image

Body of femur AXIAL CT IMAGE

MRI image

Body of femur MRI axial anatomy image-img-00000-00000

X Ray image

x Ray Body of femur view anatomy labelled image-img-00000-00000