The smaller of the two lower leg bones bears relatively little weight?

The smaller of the two lower leg bones bears relatively little weight?

• A. Fibula
• B. Tibia
• C. Calcaneus
• D. Patella

Answer: (A)

Weight transmission in the leg is carried primarily by the tibia—the main weight-bearing bone from knee to ankle. The smaller fibula runs along the outside of the leg mainly to provide muscle attachment and to help stabilize the ankle, so it bears only a small portion of body weight. The calcaneus is a heel bone in the foot, not a lower leg bone, and the patella sits in the knee tendon, so neither is the lower leg bone responsible for bearing most of the body's weight.

Weight transmission in the leg is carried primarily by the tibia—the main weight-bearing bone from knee to ankle. The smaller fibula runs along the outside of the leg mainly to provide muscle attachment and to help stabilize the ankle, so it bears only a small portion of body weight. The calcaneus is a heel bone in the foot, not a lower leg bone, and the patella sits in the knee tendon, so neither is the lower leg bone responsible for bearing most of the body's weight.