Skip to main content

1856MeyerGH

 

Professor Georg Hermann von Mayer, a theoretician of modern biomechanics of the hip joint, discusses the function of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). In the excerpts from the textbook presented to your attention, the significant role of the ligament during walking and maintaining an upright posture is noted. Meyer's thoughts were later cited multiple times by anatomy authorities, such as in Hermann Welcker's work "Ueber das Hüftgelenk, nebst einigen Bemerkungenüber Gelenke überhaupt, insbesondere über das Schultergelenk" (1876). 

The translation from German was done in collaboration with ChatGPT 3.5.  


Meyer GH. Lehrbuch der physiologischen Anatomie des Menschen. Leipzig: Verlag von Wilhelm Engelmann, 1856. [fragments]

Quote p.125

Von der incisura acetabuli, d. h. von den beiden cornua acetabuli und dem lig. transversum acetabuli entspringt ein dreieckiges Band (unpassend ligamentum teres genannt) und setzt sich, in seinem ganzen Verlaufe innerhalb der Pfanne liegend, an die fovea capitis femoris fest. Die Gestalt dieses Bandes ist diejenige eines rechtwinkeligen Dreieckes, dessen Basis (die kürzere Kathete) an dem lig. transversum acetabuli und dessen Spitze in der fovea capitis femoris liegt. Die längere Kathete bildet den hinteren, die Hypotenuse den vorderen Rand des Bandes. Der hintere und der vordere Rand werden durch stärkere Stränge (chorda anterior und posterior) gebildet, während der mittlere Theil eine dünnere. Platte ist. Die chorda anterior ist nur Hemmungsband für die Rotation des Femur nach innen; die chorda posterior hat eine wichtigere und vielseitigere Bedeutung, indem sie alle solche Bewegungen hemmt, durch welche die fovea capitis femoris nach oben geführt wird, diese sind aber im Stehen die Adduction, in der Beugung der Hüfte aber die Rotation des Femur um seine Längenaxe. Die Bedeutung des ligamentum teres ist demnach die, dass es beim Stehen eine Fixirung des Femur in querer Richtung giebt, und dass es beim Gehen den Rumpf, während er bei gebeugtem Hüftgelenke auf einem Beine ruht, in einer Weise fixirt, welche ihn verhindert, seiner Schwere folgend durch eine Drehbewegung hinabzufallen. Es hat daher in der queren Richtung beim Ruhen auf einem Beine dieselbe Wirkung, wie das lig. ileo-femorale in der Richtung von vornen nach hinten beim aufrechten Stehen. Eine weitere Bedeutung kömmt dem lig. teres noch durch folgende Verhältnisse zu. Die fossa acetabuli ist nämlich mit vielem Gelenkfette erfüllt, dessen Oberfläche mit einer Synovialhaut überzogen ist, welche sich an den Rand der fossa acetabuli und an das ligamentum transversum acetabuli ansetzt und das ganze lig. teres überzieht. Das letztere wird dadurch in eine solche Verbindung mit dem Gelenkfette gebracht, dass die Bewegungen des lig. teres dieses hereinziehen oder hinausdrücken können. 

From the incisura acetabuli, that is, from the two horns of the acetabulum and the lig. transversum acetabuli, a triangular ligament (incorrectly called the ligamentum teres) and continues its path, lying completely inside the cavity, to the fovea capitis femoris.  The shape of this ligament is that of a rectangular triangle, its base (the shorter cathetus) attached to the lig. transversum acetabuli, and its apex at the fovea capitis femoris. The longer cathetus forms the posterior, and the hypotenuse forms the anterior edge of the ligament. The posterior and anterior edges are formed by stronger bundles (chorda anterior and posterior), while the middle part is a thinner plate. The chorda anterior serves only as a braking mechanism for internal rotation of the femur; the chorda posterior has a more important and diverse role, as it prevents all movements where the fovea capitis femoris moves upward. These movements include adduction in the standing position and rotation of the femur around its longitudinal axis during hip flexion. Therefore, the significance of the ligamentum teres lies in providing fixation of the femur in the transverse direction when standing and stabilizing the torso during walking when resting on one leg in a position with hip flexion, preventing it from falling downward due to its own weight. Thus, in the transverse direction when resting on one leg, it has the same effect as the lig. ileo-femorale in the anterior-posterior direction when standing upright. Another significance of the lig. teres is as follows: the fossa acetabuli is filled with a large amount of joint fat, the surface of which is covered with a synovial membrane that attaches to the edge of the fossa acetabuli and the ligamentum transversum acetabuli, covering the entire lig. teres. As a result of this lig. teres thus becomes associated with joint fat, and the movements of the lig. teres can retract or repel it.

 

Quote p.126

Das Hüftgelenk ist demnach eine Arthrodie, in welcher alle einem solchen Gelenke zukommenden Bewegungen möglich sind, soweit sie nicht durch das ligamentum teres und das ligamentum ileo-femorale gehindert werden. Bemerkenswerth ist, dass wegen der Stellung des collum femoris in annähernd horizontaler Richtung die mit dem Gehen verbundenen Vorwärts- und Rückwärtsbewegungen (Beugung und Streckung) des Femurs im Gelenke selbst Rotationsbewegungen sind, wodurch eine grosse Sicherung dieser Bewegungen gegeben ist. Die Rotation des Femur um seine Axe ist dagegen in dem Gelenke eine radiale Bewegung. 

Therefore, the hip joint is a diarthrosis (ball-and-socket joint) where all movements typical of such joints are possible, as long as they are not restricted by the ligamentum teres and the ligamentum ileo-femorale. It is remarkable that due to the orientation of the femoral neck being nearly horizontal, the forward and backward movements of the leg associated with walking (flexion and extension) within the joint are rotational movements, providing significant stability to these motions. Meanwhile, the rotation of the femur around its axis within the joint represents a radial movement.






External links

Meyer GH. Lehrbuch der physiologischen Anatomie des Menschen. Leipzig: Verlag von Wilhelm Engelmann, 1856. [books.google]

Authors & Affiliations

Georg Hermann von Meyer (1815-1892) was Germany anatomist and physiologist; a lecturer in physiology and histology in Tübingen, and later a prosector at the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Zurich. [journals.lww.com , researchgate.net]

Portrait of Georg Hermann von Meyer (unknown date)
The author of the image is Ohne Angabe; 
Original in the wikimedia.org collection (CC0 – Public Domain, color correction)

Keywords

ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres, ligament of head of femur, anatomy, role, significance, biomechanics 

                                                                     .

NB! Fair practice / use: copied for the purposes of criticism, review, comment, research and private study in accordance with Copyright Laws of the US: 17 U.S.C. §107; Copyright Law of the EU: Dir. 2001/29/EC, art.5/3a,d; Copyright Law of the RU: ГК РФ ст.1274/1.1-2,7

BIOMECHANICS AND MORPHOMECHANICS
ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

1836-1840PartridgeR

  «Prof. Partridge in his lectures on anatomy at King's College was accustomed to compare the Ligamentum Teres, in its function, to the leathern straps by which the body of a carriage is suspended on springs » ( 1874SavoryWS ). Perhaps Nikolai Pirogov listened to these lectures ( 1859PirogoffN ).   The analogy that Richard Partridge used could have arisen after reading the monograph Bell J. The Principles of Surgery (1801) . In it, the author depicted a cart and a pelvis resting on the head of one and two femurs. However, there is no mention of ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) in the chart descriptions. References Savory WS. On the use of the ligamentum teres of the hip joint. J Anat Physiol. 1874;8(2)291-6.    [ ncbi.nlm.nih.gov  ,    archive.org ] Pirogoff N. Anatome topographica sectionibus per corpus humanum congelatum triplici directione ductus illustrate. Petropoli: Typis Jacobi Trey, 1859.   [ books.google  ,   archive.org ] ...

LCF in 2025 (March)

  LCF in 2025 ( March ):  Quotes from articles and books published in March 2025 mentioning the ligamentum capitis femoris.   Matsushita, Y., Sugiyama, H., Hayama, T., Sato, R., & Saito, M. (2025). Long-term Outcome of Pediatric Arthroscopic Surgery for Avulsion Fracture of the Ligamentum Teres: A Case Report. JBJS Case Connector ,  15 (1), e25.   [i]     journals.lww.com   Arkhipov, S. V. (2025). Inferior Portal for Hip Arthroscopy: A Pilot Experimental Study. Pt. 2. Inferior Portal Prototypes.  About Round Ligament of Femur . February 26, 2025.  [ii]   researchgate . net   Pfirrmann, C. W., & Kim, Y. J. (2025). Advanced Imaging. In  Surgical Hip Dislocation: A Comprehensive Approach to Modern Hip Surgery (pp. 29-42). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.  [iii]    link.springer.com   Singh, R., & Yadav, N. (2025). Morphometry and Morphology of the Fovea Capitis of the Femoral Head an...

2000-1600bcBM29663

  Fragment of the text of clay tablet BM 29663 (Mesopotamia, 2000-1600 BC). In the list of body parts of a sheep, the author indicates ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). See our commentary at the link: 2000-1600bcBM29663 [Rus]. Quote [Akk] Clay tablet BM 29663 (original source: photo - British Museum  britishmuseum.org , text - 2018CohenY , p. 134). Translation [Eng] List of Sheep Body Parts ( с lay tablet BM 29663, obverse) 10. ni-im-šu → nimšu, “sciatic nerve”, “sinew” . ( original source: 2018CohenY , p. 135). ( original source: British Museum  britishmuseum.org ,  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)  External links Clay tablet; museum number 29663; registration number 1898,1115.49. Middle East, Old Babylonian period (2000-1600 BC). [ britishmuseum.org  ,  cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de ] Sigrist M, Zadok R, Walker C. Catalogue of the Babylonian tablets in the British Museum. Catalogue of the Babylonian tablets in the British Museum. London: British Museum Press, 2006. ...

2020ArkhipovSV_ProlyginaIV

  Ancient Textual Sources on Ligamentum Teres: Context and Transmission S.V. Arkhipov, I.V. Prolygina   KEYWORDS: ancient medicine; ancient traumatology; Galen; Hippocrates; hip joint; ligamentum capitis femoris; ligament of head of femur; ligamentum teres. SUMMARY Background. One of the least researched anatomical structures of the human body is the ligament of head of femur, most often referred to as ligamentum teres. The history of the nomination of this term, medical contexts of its use, the etymology and the first synonyms (Figure 1) are not sufficiently understood. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to present the most complete collection of evidence from ancient medical authors about the term ligamentum teres, trace the history of its nomination and analyze the gradual changes in the level of knowledge about the anatomy, mechanical and geometric properties of this structure, its pathology and treatment methods. Methods. The study is based on an inter...

INFERIOR PORTAL FOR HIP ARTHROSCOPY

  Combined PDF version of the article: Arkhipov SV. Arkhipov SV. Inferior Portal for Hip A rthroscopy: A Pilot Experimental Study. This page contains a photocopy of the publication. The links for downloading the PDF version and the addresses of the online versions are given below.  The original in Russian is available at the link: Нижний портал для артроскопии тазобедренного сустава . 

2025ArkhipovSV. Human Children

  The monograph  Arkhipov S.V. Human Children: The Origins of Biblical Legends from a Physician's Perspective. An essay with references to interactive materials. 2nd revised and expanded edition. Joensuu: Author's Edition, 2025. [In Russian].  The monograph dates the writing of the Book of Genesis and the events depicted in it, as well as refutes the authorship of Moses. I offer mutually beneficial cooperation (50/50) in literary translation into English or native language. Proofreading of machine translation and cooperation in editing are expected.  Requirements for co-author: 1. Native speaker 2. Experience as a writer. E-mail: archipovsv(&)gmail.com Annotation The first version of the Book of Genesis appeared in Ancient Egypt approximately 3,600 years ago, during the Hyksos period. The work was conceived as a fairy tale epic. An unknown physician-encyclopedist, who is also presumed to have authored the Edwin Smith Papyrus, played a role in its composition...

A FORCE THAT HELPS ROTATE THE PELVIS

   A force that helps rotate the pelvis when walking. Modeling the key movement of the ligamentum capitis femoris when walking (the simplest but most visual experiments). See: https://kruglayasvyazka.blogspot.com/2024/05/blog-post_29.html #ligamentum_teres   #ligamentum_capitis_femoris   #hip   #biomechanics    Publication in the facebook group 03/24/2025.                                                                                                                     BLOG CONTENT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FACEBOOK

Online Journal «ABOUT ROUND LIGAMENT OF FEMUR», February 2025

    SCIENTIFIC THEMATIC ONLINE JOURNAL « About Round Ligament of Femur » February, 2025 The publication is dedicated to the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) and related topics.   About the Journal The online journal  « About Round Ligament of  Femur »   was created based on the scientific blog of the same name. Updates: As new materials are prepared. Purpose: Popularization and preservation of knowledge about LCF, as well as promoting its practical application. Main goal: Improvement of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of injuries and diseases of the hip joint.   Announcements 25.02.2025 A Facebook group « LIGAMENTUM CAPITIS FEMORIS »  has been created.  26.02.2025 The scientific blog « About Round Ligament of Femur » has been transformed into an online journal of the same name.   Surgical Treatment INFERIOR P...

EXTERNAL LIGAMENTS & LCF

  external ligaments & LCF First experiments to study the interaction of the external ligaments and the ligamentum capitis femoris in a model: https://kruglayasvyazka.blogspot.com/2024/06/blog-post_6.html Pathological consequences of lengthening of the ligamentum capitis femoris: https://kruglayasvyazka.blogspot.com/2024/06/blog-post_63.html   norm: https://kruglayasvyazka.blogspot.com/2024/06/blog-post_50.html   #ligamentum_teres   #ligamentum_capitis_femoris   #hip   #biomechanics    Publication in the facebook group 03/27/2025.                                                                                                                     BLOG CONTE...

922-722bcElohist

  Excerpt from the book of Bereishit (Genesis), the lost biblical source Elohist, written in Paleo-Hebrew script. A variant of the oldest description of damage to the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) and the cause of lameness in Hebrew, dating from 922-722 BCE. See our commentary at the link: 922-722bcElohist [Rus]. Quote [ Paleo-Hebrew ] Elohist. Bereshit 32:32-33 (original source: 5784 Moshe Ben Amram, p. 41;  our correction) Translation [Eng] Elohist. Bereshit 32:32-33 and the sun riseth on him when he hath passed over Penuel, and he is halting on his thigh; therefore the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew which shrank, which is on the hollow of the thigh, unto this day, because He came against the hollow of Jacob's thigh, against the sinew which shrank.  (our correction-reconstruction of the version 1898 YoungR ( p. 23, Bereishit 32:32-33); preserved the text of the age of 922-722 BC belonging to the lost biblical source "Elohist") Moshe Ben Amram. Pentateuch in P...