Thigh
Diagram of the human thigh bone
In humans the thigh is the area between the pelvis and buttocks and the knee.
Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.
There is one bone in the thigh called the femur.
This bone is very thick and strong, and forms a ball and socket joint at the hip, and a condylar joint at the knee.
Fascial compartments
In cross-section, the thigh is divided up into three fascial
compartments. These compartments are the femur as an axis, and are separated by tough connective tissue membranes (or septa). Each of these
compartments has its own blood and nerve supply,
and contains a different group of muscles.
Anterior compartment
This contains the flexors of the hip, and extensors of the knee, such as the quadriceps femoris. These
muscles are supplied by the femoral
nerve and the femoral artery.
Medial compartment
The obturator nerve
supplies the hip adductors in this compartment. Muscles include adductor longus, adductor brevis and gracilis.
Posterior compartment
The muscles here are the hamstrings. These muscles flex the knee, and extend
the hip. This compartment is sciatic nerve territory.
Blood vessels
Saphenous vein etc.
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