Ligament of head of femur

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Ligament of head of femur
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Left hip-joint, opened by removing the floor of the acetabulum from within the pelvis (Ligament of head of femur labeled as ligt. teres at cente.)
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Hip-joint, front view. The capsular ligament has been largely removed (ligament visible at center labeled as ligam teres)
Details
From Femur head
To Acetabular notch
Identifiers
Latin ligamentum capitis femoris,
ligamentum teres femoris
MeSH D000069593
TA98 A03.6.07.010
TA2 1882
FMA 43235
Anatomical terminology

The ligament of the head of the femur (round ligament of the femur, foveal ligament, or Fillmore's ligament) is a weak [1] ligament located in the hip joint. It is triangular in shape and somewhat flattened. The ligament is implanted by its apex into the antero superior part of the fovea capitis femoris and its base is attached by two bands, one into either side of the acetabular notch, and between these bony attachments it blends with the transverse ligament. [2]

Contents

Anatomy

Development

Initially, the ligament contains a small artery (the acetabular branch of the obturator artery [ citation needed ]) which becomes obliterated in late childhood. [3]

Variation

It is ensheathed by the synovial membrane, and varies greatly in strength in different subjects; occasionally only the synovial fold exists, and in rare cases even this is absent. [2]

Function

The ligament becomes taught when the thigh is flexed and either adducted or laterally/externally rotated. The ligament is usually too weak to actually function as a ligament [4] past childhood; [5] excessive movement at the hip joint is instead primarily limited by the three capsular ligament of the hip joint. [4] Nevertheless, more recent research suggests the ligament may have a number of functions, including a significant biomechanical role on the basis of cadaveric studies where increases of range of motion were seen after sectioning of the ligament. [6]

Other animals

It has been suggested that some animals, such as the orangutan and Indian elephant, lack a ligamentum teres. [7] [8] However, the presence of a ligamentum teres, albeit with a morphology different from the human version, has been found upon dissection in both these animals. In the orangutan, it is believed to play a significant role in preventing dislocation of the femoral head within extreme ranges of motion. In the Indian elephant, it is the primary support of the hip joint when the hind limbs are abducted. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acetabulum</span> Cavity where the thigh bone (femur) articulates with the pelvis

The acetabulum also called the cotyloid cavity, is a concave surface of the pelvis. The head of the femur meets with the pelvis at the acetabulum, forming the hip joint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hip</span> Anatomical region between the torso and the legs, holding the buttocks and genital region

In vertebrate anatomy, the hip, or coxa(pl.: coxae) in medical terminology, refers to either an anatomical region or a joint on the outer (lateral) side of the pelvis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorsal interossei of the foot</span> Four muscles situated between the metatarsal bones

In human anatomy, the dorsal interossei of the foot are four muscles situated between the metatarsal bones.

The semimembranosus muscle is the most medial of the three hamstring muscles in the thigh. It is so named because it has a flat tendon of origin. It lies posteromedially in the thigh, deep to the semitendinosus muscle. It extends the hip joint and flexes the knee joint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acetabular fossa</span>

The acetabular fossa is the non-articular depressed region at the centre of the floor of the acetabulum. It is surrounded by the articular lunate surface. The floor of the fossa is formed mostly by the ischium; it is rough and thin. The space of the fossa is continuous inferiorly with the acetabular notch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annular ligament of radius</span>

The annular ligament is a strong band of fibers that encircles the head of the radius, and retains it in contact with the radial notch of the ulna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fibular collateral ligament</span> Collateral fibular ligament

The lateral collateral ligament is an extrinsic ligament of the knee located on the lateral side of the knee. Its superior attachment is at the lateral epicondyle of the femur ; its inferior attachment is at the lateral aspect of the head of fibula. The LCL is not fused with the joint capsule. Inferiorly, the LCL splits the tendon of insertion of the biceps femoris muscle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iliofemoral ligament</span> Attaches hip to femur

The iliofemoral ligament is a thick and very tough triangular capsular ligament of the hip joint situated anterior to this joint. It attaches superiorly at the inferior portion of the anterior inferior iliac spine and adjacent portion of the margin of the acetabulum; it attaches inferiorly at the intertrochanteric line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pubofemoral ligament</span>

The pubofemoral ligament is a ligament which reinforces the inferior and anterior portions of the joint capsule of the hip joint. The ligament attaches superiorly at the superior ramus of pubis, and the iliopubic eminence; it attaches inferiorly at the inferior portion of the intertrochanteric line. The psoas bursa intervenes between the ligament and joint capsule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ischiofemoral ligament</span>

The ischiofemoral ligament consists of a triangular band of strong fibers on the posterior side of the hip joint. It is one of the four ligaments that reinforce the hip joint. It attaches to the posterior surface of the acetabular rim and acetabular labrum, and extends around the circumference of the joint to insert on the anterior aspect of the femur. The ischiofemoral ligament limits the internal rotation and adduction of the hip when it is in a flexed position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iliolumbar ligament</span>

The iliolumbar ligament is a strong ligament which attaches medially to the transverse process of the 5th lumbar vertebra, and laterally to back of the inner lip of the iliac crest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacrococcygeal symphysis</span> Joint in the pelvis

The sacrococcygeal symphysis is an amphiarthrodial joint, formed between the oval surface at the apex of the sacrum, and the base of the coccyx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oblique popliteal ligament</span>

The oblique popliteal ligament is a broad, flat, fibrous ligament on the posterior knee. It is an extension of the tendon of the semimembranosus muscle. It attaches onto the intercondylar fossa and lateral condyle of the femur. It reinforces the posterior central portion of the knee joint capsule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transverse acetabular ligament</span>

The transverse acetabular ligament bridges the acetabular notch, creating the a foramen. The ligament is one of the sites of attachment of the ligament of head of femur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acetabular labrum</span> Ring of cartilage that surrounds the acetabulum of the hip

The acetabular labrum is a fibrocartilaginous ring which surrounds the circumference of the acetabulum of the hip, deepening the acetabulum. The labrum is attached onto the bony rim and transverse acetabular ligament. It is triangular in cross-section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Femoral head</span>

The femoral head is the highest part of the thigh bone (femur). It is supported by the femoral neck.

The arcuate popliteal ligament is an Y-shaped extracapsular ligament of the knee. It is formed as a thickening of the posterior fibres of the joint capsule of the knee. It reinforces the knee joint capsule inferolaterally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pelvis</span> Lower torso of the human body

The pelvis is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs, together with its embedded skeleton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gemelli muscles</span> Two small muscular fasciculi, accessories to the tendon of the internal obturator muscle

The gemelli muscles are the inferior gemellus muscle and the superior gemellus muscle, two small accessory fasciculi to the tendon of the internal obturator muscle. The gemelli muscles belong to the lateral rotator group of six muscles of the hip that rotate the femur in the hip joint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lumbosacral ligament</span>

The lumbosacral ligament or lateral lumbosacral ligament is a ligament that helps to stabilise the lumbosacral joint. The ligament's medial attachment is at transverse process of lumbar vertebra L5; its lateral attachment is at the ala of sacrum.

References

PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text in the public domain from page 336 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. ↑ Palastanga, Nigel; Soames, Roger (2012). Anatomy and Human Movement: Structure and Function. Physiotherapy Essentials (6th ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. p. 290. ISBN   978-0-7020-3553-1.
  2. 1 2 Gray's Anatomy (1918), see infobox
  3. ↑ Palastanga, Nigel; Soames, Roger (2012). Anatomy and Human Movement: Structure and Function. Physiotherapy Essentials (6th ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. pp. 290–291. ISBN   978-0-7020-3553-1.
  4. 1 2 Palastanga, Nigel; Soames, Roger (2012). Anatomy and Human Movement: Structure and Function. Physiotherapy Essentials (6th ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. p. 290. ISBN   978-0-7020-3553-1.
  5. ↑ Tan CK, Wong WC (August 1990). "Absence of the ligament of head of femur in the human hip joint". Singapore Medical Journal. 31 (4): 360–3. PMID   2124003.
  6. ↑ O'Donnell JM, Pritchard M, Salas AP, Singh PJ (July 2014). "The ligamentum teres-its increasing importance". Journal of Hip Preservation Surgery. 1 (1): 3–11. doi:10.1093/jhps/hnu003. PMC   4765261 . PMID   27011796.
  7. ↑ Femur article, Encyclopædia Britannica.
  8. ↑ Ishida, Hidemi (2006). "Current Thoughts on Terrestrialization in African Apes and the Origin of Human Bipedalism". In Ishida, Hidemi; Tuttle, Russell; Pickford, Martin; Ogihara, Naomichi; Nakatsukasa, Masato (eds.). Human Origins and Environmental Backgrounds. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects. pp. 259–66. doi:10.1007/0-387-29798-7_20. ISBN   9780387296388.
  9. ↑ Crelin ES (1988). "Ligament of the head of the femur in the orangutan and Indian elephant". Yale J Biol Med. 61 (5): 383–8. PMC   2590443 . PMID   3201784.
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