What is the strongest bone in the body?
The femur, or thigh bone, is the strongest and longest bone in the human body. It can support about 30 times a person's body weight.
The femur runs from the hip to the knee. In an average adult, it is about 45 to 50 centimeters long, roughly a quarter of a person's height. Its strength comes from its thick, dense outer layer of compact bone and a hollow center filled with marrow, a design that makes it both strong and relatively light.
The femur carries the body's weight when standing, walking and running and anchors powerful muscles like the quadriceps and hamstrings. Breaking a femur usually requires a large force, such as a car accident or a serious fall, and it often needs surgery to heal properly.
Other strong bones
The tibia, or shinbone, is the second-strongest and second-longest bone. The jawbone, or mandible, is the strongest bone in the face. The smallest bone in the body is the stapes, a tiny bone in the middle ear about 3 millimeters long.
Did You Know?
Forensic scientists can estimate a person's height from the length of their femur alone.
This answer is general information, not medical advice. For a personal health question, talk to a doctor.