Trochanter Explained

Trochanter
Latin:	trochanter

A trochanter is a tubercle of the femur near its joint with the hip bone. In humans and most mammals, the trochanters serve as important muscle attachment sites. Humans are known to have three trochanters, though the anatomic "normal" includes only the greater and lesser trochanters. (The third trochanter is not present in all specimens.)

Etymology

"Trokhos" (Greek) = "wheel", with reference to the spherical femoral head which was first named "trokhanter". Later usage came to include the femoral neck.^[1]

Structure

In human anatomy, the trochanter is a part of the femur. It can refer to:

• Greater trochanter
• Lesser trochanter
• Third trochanter, which is occasionally present

Other animals

• Fourth trochanter, of archosaur leg bones
• Trochanter (arthropod leg), a segment of the arthropod leg

See also

• Intertrochanteric crest
• Intertrochanteric line

Notes and References

1. Book: O'Rahilly, Ronan, M.D. . Fabiola Müller, Dr. rer. nat., Stanley Carpenter, Ph.D., and Rand Swenson, D.C., M.D., Ph.D. . 2004 . Rand Swenson, site ed. . Basic Human Anatomy: A Regional Study of Human Structure . Etymology of Abdominal Visceral Terms . https://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/resources/etymology/Lower_limb.htm . Dartmouth Medical School.