Leg

In popular usage, the leg extends from the top of the thigh down to the foot. However, in medical terminology, the leg refers to the portion of the lower extremity from the knee to the ankle. The leg has two bones: the tibia and the fibula. Both are known as long bones. The larger of the two is the tibia, familiarly called the shinbone. "Tibia" is a Latin word meaning both shinbone and flute. It is thought that "tibia" refers to both the bone and the musical instrument because flutes were once fashioned from the tibia (of animals). The fibula runs alongside the tibia. The word "fibula" is a Latin word that designates a clasp or brooch. The fibula was likened by the ancients to a clasp attaching it to the tibia to form a brooch.

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1. [TA] Anatomically, the segment of the lower limb between the knee and the ankle; commonly used to mean the entire inferior limb. 2. A structure resembling a l.. SYN: crus (1) [TA].

- l. of antihelix SYN: crura of antihelix, under crus.

- bow-l. See genu varum.

- elephant l. SYN: elephantiasis.

- restless legs SYN: restless legs syndrome.

- rider's l. a strain of the adductor muscles of the thigh.

- tennis l. a rupture of the gastrocnemius muscle at the musculotendinous junction, resulting from forcible contractions of the calf muscles; commonly seen in tennis players.

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legislation; legal

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leg 'leg, 'lāg n a limb of an animal used esp. for supporting the body and for walking: as

a) either of the two lower human limbs that extend from the top of the thigh to the foot and esp. the part between the knee and the ankle

b) any of the rather generalized segmental appendages of an arthropod used in walking and crawling

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(leg) 1. the section of the lower limb between the knee and ankle; called also crus and shank. 2. in common usage, the entire lower limb (in which case, the part below the knee is called the lower leg). 3. any of the four limbs of a quadruped.