Skip to main content

1868AebyCT

 

Christoph Aeby believed that the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) is the internal capsule of the joint. The author presents the classical viewpoint: the LCF does not have significant importance for joint stabilization.

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

Aeby CT. Der Bau des menschlichen Körpers mit besonderer Rücksicht auf seine morphologische und physiologische Bedeutung… Erste lieferung. Leipzig: F.C.W. Vogel, 1868. [fragments]

p. 304

 


Fig. 130. A, Senkrechter, B, wagerechter Querschnitt des linken Hüftgelenkes. (1/2 N. G.) a, os pelvis; b, femur mit trochanter major. α, labrum glenoidale; β, lig. teres.

Fig. 130. A, Vertical, B, horizontal cross-section of the left hip joint. (1/2 N. G.) a, os pelvis; b, femur with trochanter major; α, labrum glenoidale; β, lig. teres.

pp. 305-306

Wie im Schultergelenk, so erhält auch im Hüftgelenk die Pfanne einen aus festem bindegewebigem Filze gebildeten, in scharfem Rande auslaufenden Saum (labrum glenoidale), der sie rings umzieht. Er folgt nicht bloss der Knorpelfläche, sondern geht ohne Unterbrechung auch über die von ihr gelassene Lücke hinweg. Er vergrössert daher nicht bloss die Pfanne nach den Seiten hin, sondern vervollständigt auch ihren Rand, indem er deren Einschnitt zur Oeffnung umwandelt.

Die Ringform der Gelenkflächen bedingt eine ganz eigenthümliche Anordnung der Gelenkkapsel. Sie wird zu einer doppelten und begränzt die Gelenkhöhle nicht bloss, wie gewöhnlich, an Einer, sondern an zwei einander gegenüber liegenden Seiten. In unserm Falle sind die beiden Kapseln einander freilich so unähnlich, dass man nur der einen, der äussern, diese Bedeutung zugestanden hat, die andere dagegen unter dem durchaus unzutreffenden Namen des runden Bandes (lig, teres) als eine Bildung ganz eigener Art glaubte hinstellen zu sollen.

Richten wir unser Augenmerk vor allem auf diese vielfach verkannte innere Kapsel (lig. capsulare int.). Sie ist nur von geringer Stärke und kann selbst, obgleich nur ausnahmsweise, ganz oder theilweise fehlen. Ihr Umfang entspricht dem Innenrande der beiden Gelenkflächen, und sie stellt demnach ein trichterförmig gegen die Pfanne erweitertes Rohr vor. An dieser umspannt sie den Pfannengrund, indem sie nach unten an den frei über dessen Einschnitt hinweggehenden Theil des labrum glenoidale sich anheftet; am Kopfe folgt sie dem innern Knorpelsaume. Ihre obere Wand ist so tief nach unten ausgestülpt, dass sie an die untere fast unmittelbar sich anlegt und mit ihr scheinbar ein einfaches, plattgedrücktes Band (eben das fälschlich sogenannte lig. teres) erzeugt, das von der incisura acetabuli steil zur Grube des Gelenkkopfes emporsteigt. Die Aussenfläche der innern Gelenkkapsel wird theils von Fett-, theils von Sehnenlagen überdeckt, welche das von ihr gebildete Rohr vollständig ausfüllen und durch den Pfanneneinschnitt frei nach aussen hervortreten.

As in the shoulder joint, the socket in the hip joint also has a lip (labrum glenoidale), made of hard connective tissue and ending sharply, which surrounds the socket on all sides. It not only follows the surface of the cartilage, but also passes through the gap created by it without interruption. Therefore, he not only widens the cavity on the sides, but also completes its edge, turning its cut into an opening.

The ring shape of the joint surfaces determines a very peculiar arrangement of the joint capsule. It becomes double and confines the joint cavity not only on one side, as usual, but also on two opposite sides. In our case, both capsules are certainly so dissimilar that only one of them, the outer one, is given such importance, while the other, entirely erroneously called the round ligament (lig. teres), is considered a formation of an entirely different kind.

Let's focus primarily on this often underestimated inner capsule (lig. capsulare int.). It possesses only a small degree of strength and may, although rarely, be completely or partially absent. Its extent corresponds to the inner edge of both joint surfaces, and therefore it represents a funnel-shaped tube directed towards the socket. Here it encompasses the bottom of the socket, attaching to it from below to the free part of the labrum glenoidale; on the head, it follows the inner edge of the cartilage. Its upper wall is so deeply descended downward that it practically immediately joins the lower one, creating together what appears to be a simple, flattened strip (the so-called lig. teres), which sharply rises from the incisura acetabuli to the fovea of the femoral head. The outer surface of the inner joint capsule is partially covered by layers of fat and tendons, which completely fill the tube formed by it and freely protrude outward through the incision of the socket.

p. 307

Für die Sicherung und Eindämmung des Gelenkes ist das innere Kapselband wohl ohne Bedeutung; höchstens vermag es durch seine lockern Fettmassen zur Ausgleichung etwaiger Incongruenzen einiges beizutragen.

 

The internal capsular ligament likely does not play a significant role in joint stabilization; at best, it may contribute to compensating for any discrepancies due to its free fat masses.

Fig. 130. A, Senkrechter, B, wagerechter Querschnitt des linken Hüftgelenkes. (1/2 N. G.) a, os pelvis; b, femur mit trochanter major. α, labrum glenoidale; β, lig. teres.

Fig. 130. A, Vertical, B, horizontal cross-section of the left hip joint. (1/2 N. G.) a, os pelvis; b, femur with trochanter major; α, labrum glenoidale; β, lig. teres.

 



External links

Aeby CT. Der Bau des menschlichen Körpers mit besonderer Rücksicht auf seine morphologische und physiologische Bedeutung… Erste lieferung. Leipzig: F.C.W. Vogel, 1868. [books.google , digitale-sammlungen.de]

Authors & Affiliations

Christoph Theodor Aeby (1835-1885) was a Swiss anatomist, anthropologist, and academic. [en.wikipedia.org] 

Christoph Theodor Aeby (c. 1880)
Unknown author; original in the 
wikimedia.org collection
(CC0 – Public Domain, no changes)

Keywords

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

                                                                      .

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

MORPHOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

1802PalmeraniÁ

   Palmerani Á , drawing Jacob wrestling with the angel (1802 ).  Depicting the circumstances and mechanism of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) injury based on the description in the Book of Genesis: 25 And Ja cob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 26 And when he saw that he could not prevail against him, he struck against the hollow of his thigh ; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was put out of joint, as he was wrestling with him. … 33 Therefore do the children of Israel not eat the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day; because he struck against the hollow of Jacob's thigh on the sinew that shrank.  ( 1922LeeserI , Genesis (Bereshit) 32:25-26,33) More about the plot in our work:  Ninth month, eleventh day   ( 2024 АрхиповСВ. Девятый месяц, одиннадцатый день ).     Ángel  Palmerani  – Jacob Wrestling with the Angel  ( 1802); original in the  a...

Homo floresiensis

  HOMO FLORESIENSIS Homo floresiensis lived on the island of Flores (Indonesia) 190-50 Kya (2016SutiknaT_RobertsRG). The ancestor of this species is «suspected» to be the Asian subtype Homo erectus, which arrived from the mainland about 800 Kya (2009LyrasGA_DeVosJ). The anatomy of Homo floresiensis is less similar to Homo habilis (2008Gordon_WoodB). Homo floresiensis Author: Cicero Moraes et al.  (Arc-Team)  ; source: wikimedia.org   collection (license CC BY 4.0, no changes). Among the discovered remains of a female Homo floresiensis  ( humanorigins . si . edu )  there is a relatively well-preserved left pelvic bone (LB1/7). It has a « typically human » acetabulum (2009JungersWL_DjubiantonoT:Fig.3). The acetabulum has a complete fusion of the three bones that form it and is not hypoplastic (2012BrownP:Fig.4). The acetabular fossa is rounded and deep, continuing downwards and forwards as a wide acetabular notch. This area is the site of attachment and func...

1934BökerH

  Content [i]   Annotation [ii]   Original in  German [iii]   Illustrations [iv]   Source  &  links [v]   Notes [vi]   Authors & Affiliations [vii]   Keywords [i]   Annotation Fragments from the article: Böker H. Die Bedeutung des Ligamentum teres femoris (1934). The author discusses the attachment, role and movement of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). At this point, we have only fragments of this remarkable work. The text in Russian is available at the following link: 1934BökerH . [ii]   Original in    German «In einer Untersuchung über die Bedeutung des Ligamentum teres femoris zeigt Böker, daß der Bewegungsraum dieses „Bandes“ mit dem Ausdehnungsbereich der Fossa acetabuli übereinstimmt.» (1939 NauckET ) .   Einzig Böker [1] beschrie 1934 In einem Artikel Ober die Bedeutung des Ligamentum teres femoris die normale Stellung der Fovea in Relation zur Fossa acetabul. Er stellt fest, dass die...

1785SandifortE

  Fragments from the book Sandifort E. Descriptio ossium hominis. (1785). The author briefly writes about the attachment of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). Quote p. 104 [Lat] Os ischium… … Qua spectat pelvim (a) os ischion æquabile est, modice cavatum, ab exteriore profunde sinuatum (b). Sinus hic, quem acetabulum vocant, maximus, sere rotundus, est, dividique potest in partes duas, alteram semilunarem quodammodo, cartilagine tectam (c), hinc æquabilem, alteram altius excavatam, asperam (d), glandulæ muciparæ sedem præbentem, & educentem ligamentum teres, quod capiti ossis femoris infigitur (e). … Quote p. 108-109 [Lat] Femoris os … … Caput magnum, globosum, cartilagine lævi incrustatum, oblique positum (b), id est, sursum introrsumque tendens, magnitudine & figura cum acetabulo (i) congruens, intra illud admittitur, illique alligatur per ligamentum teres, quod firmiter adhæret ab altera parte acetabulo, ab altera sinui profundo, inæquabili, qui in dicto capite est (k...

The First Animals

  THE FIRST ANIMALS According to molecular clock data, the separation of the Animal Kingdom from the Plant Kingdom occurred 1609±60 Ma (2004HedgesSB_ShoeJL). Molecular estimates indicate that the last common ancestor of multicellular representatives of the fauna (Metazoa) was Neoproterozoic, most likely younger than 800 million years (2015PisaniD_LiuAG). Biomarkers of metazoan living systems identified in sedimentary deposits indicate their presence in the seas since the Cryogenian period (2018ZumbergeJA_SummonsRE), which began around approximately 720 Ma (2023CohenKM_CarN). Multicellular animals were part of early Ediacaran ecosystems and are found below layers dated to 632.5 ± 0.5 Ma (2007Yin_LHuJ). The oldest fossil of a multicellular organism resembling a sponge (Porifera) is about 600 Ma (2015YinZ_TafforeauP). The last Neoproterozoic glaciation (about 582 Ma) coincides with the appearance of complex organisms in the fossil record (2007BowringSA_AllenPA). Ev...

LCF in 2025 (December)

  LCF in 2025 ( December)   (Quotes from articles and books published in  December  2025 mentioning the ligamentum capitis femoris)   Sarassa, C., Aristizabal, S., Mejía, R., García, J. J., Quintero, D., & Herrera, A. M. (2025). Intraosseous Tunneling and Ligamentum Teres Ligamentodesis “Teretization” to Enhance Stability in Congenital Hip Dislocation Surgery: Surgical Technique and Mid-Term Outcomes. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics , 10-1097.   [i]      journals.lww.com   Kampouridis, P., Svorligkou, G., Spassov, N., & Böhme, M. (2025). Postcranial anatomy of the Late Miocene Eurasian hornless rhinocerotid Chilotherium. PLoS One , 20 (12), e0336590.     [ii]      journals.plos.org   Burdette, T. N., Hsiou, C. L., McDonough, S. P., Pell, S., Ayers, J., Divers, T. J., & Delvescovo, B. Sidewinder syndrome associated with complete rupture of the ligamentum capitis ossis femoris in a horse. Eq...

Human Children. Retelling of Chapter 10

      Short retelling of chapter 10 of the essay: Arkhipov S.V. Human Children: The Origins of Biblical Legends from a Physician's Perspective. Joensuu: Author's Edition, 2025. [In Russian]  Chapter 10. THE ARK AND THE CAVE The Book of Genesis does not specify where Noah lived before the flood, but it is plausible his home was in the "land of Nod." To save his family and terrestrial animals, Noah builds an ark measuring "three hundred cubits" long, "fifty cubits" wide, and "thirty cubits" high, coated with pitch inside and out. The vessel has three decks, a pyramidal roof, a side door, and a window, likely at the top. Noah loads his wife, three sons with their wives, and representatives of birds, reptiles, and "clean and unclean cattle." The text lists some "passengers": Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and mentions "beasts," "cattle," "creeping things," "flying creatures,"...

1899ParsonsFG

  An excerpt from the article by Parsons FG. The joints of mammals compared with those of man: a course of lectures delivered at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (1899, pp. 301-306). The paper discusses the anatomy and presence of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) in different animals. The author found in an experiment that in kangaroos, the LCF was stretched during hip extension. Below we publish an excerpt from the abstract and a critique of the lecture in the Lancet.   THEJOINTS OF MAMMALS COMPARED WITH THOSE OF MAN: A COUBSE OF LECTURES DELIVERED AT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND. By F. G. PARSONS, F.R.C.S., late Hunterian Professor.   PART II.-JOINTS OF THE HIND LIMB. THE HIP JOINT. SOME of the chief points which attract attention in the hip joint of man are the three thickened parts of the capsule called the ilio-femoral, ischio-femoral, and pubo-femoral ligaments, as well as the intra-articular ligamentum teres running from the bottom of the ac...

Tweet of March 1, 2026

  Quotes from articles and books published in February 2025 mentioning the #ligamentum_capitis_femoris.  [En] https://roundligament.blogspot.com/2026/03/lcf-in-2026-february.html    [Ru] https://kruglayasvyazka.blogspot.com/2026/03/lcf-2026.html Tweet of March 1, 2026 #ligamentum_teres   #hip_joint   BLOG CONTENT TWITTER OR X                                                                            

THE GIFTS OF THE MAGI FOR ORTHOPEDIC SURGEONS

  Translation of the article:   Архипов СВ. Новая техника проксимального крепления при реконструкции ligamentum capitis femoris: Дары волхвов ортопедическим хирургам. The text in Russian is available at the following link:  2026АрхиповСВ .  A Novel Technique for Proximal Fixation of Ligamentum Capitis Femoris Reconstruction: The Gifts of the Magi for Orthopedic Surgeons S.V. Arkhipov, Independent Researcher, Joensuu, Finland     CONTENT [i]   Abstract [ii]   Introduction [iii]   Materials and Methods [iv]   Technique [v]   Discussion [vi]   Conclusion [vii]   Appendix [viii]   References [ix]   Structured Abstract [x]   Additional material [i]   Abstract An experimental technique for reconstruction of the ligamentum capitis femoris (ligamentum teres femoris) is described. The proposed method involves creating two portions of the ligament analog: a pubic portion and an ischial portion. Fixation of thes...