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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 

                                                                     .

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BIOMECHANICS AND MORPHOMECHANICS
ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE

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