The skeletal support for the thigh is the femur. Most of the large muscles in the thigh insert into the proximal ends of the two bones of the leg (tibia and fibula) and flex and extend the leg at the knee joint. The distal end of the femur provides origin for the gastrocnemius muscles, which are predominantly in the posterior compartment of the leg and plantarflex the foot.
Shaft and distal end of femur