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Bones of the Lower Limb Quiz
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Which bony landmark of the femur is the main site of attachment for the iliopsoas muscle?
- A Lesser trochanter You picked ✓
- B Intertrochanteric line You picked ✕
- C Greater trochanter You picked ✕
- D Gluteal tuberosity You picked ✕
- E Linea aspera You picked ✕
Correct!
Incorrect
The answer is A: Lesser trochanter
Explanation
Why A is correct
See Femur. Option A is correct because the iliopsoas tendon inserts on the lesser trochanter. Iliopsoas is the combined name for psoas major and iliacus, two muscles that run from the lower back and the pelvis and join into one tendon to cross the front of the hip. A trochanter is a bony bump on the femur where large muscles attach, and the femur has two of them. The lesser trochanter is the smaller one, projecting from the back and inner (posteromedial) side of the femur just below the neck, the narrowed part that joins the head to the shaft. Iliopsoas is the main muscle that flexes the hip, which means lifting the thigh towards the trunk, as when you lift your knee to climb a step. A forceful contraction can pull off a small flake of bone at its attachment, called an avulsion fracture of the lesser trochanter. Memory aid: the hip flexor goes to the lesser (smaller, inner) bump, while the hip abductors go to the greater (bigger, outer) bump.
- Insertion: The iliopsoas tendon inserts on the lesser trochanter.
- Site: This is the smaller bump on the back and inner side of the femur, just below the neck.
- Action: Iliopsoas is the main muscle that flexes the hip.
Why the other options are incorrect
- B. Intertrochanteric line: The intertrochanteric line is a ridge on the front of the femur between the two trochanters. It takes the iliofemoral ligament and the hip capsule, not the iliopsoas tendon. Your answer
- C. Greater trochanter: The greater trochanter is the large outer bump on the upper femur, where gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and piriformis attach. It is the abductors' landmark, not the iliopsoas one. Your answer
- D. Gluteal tuberosity: The gluteal tuberosity is a roughened ridge on the back of the shaft, where gluteus maximus attaches. It would be the answer for a question about the largest buttock muscle. Your answer
- E. Linea aspera: The linea aspera is a long rough ridge down the back of the femoral shaft that gives attachment to several thigh muscles. Iliopsoas is not one of them, because it ends higher up at the lesser trochanter. Your answer
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More questions from this set. Start the quiz to answer them and see each explanation.
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1
Which statement best describes the anatomical role of the patella?
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2
A physiotherapy student palpates (feels) a prominent bony lump on the outer side of a patient's hip while assessing hip abductor function. Which femoral landmark is being palpated, and why is it clinically relevant?
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