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

13c.Soligalich

   Soligalich , icon, Jacob wrestling with the angel ( 13 cent. ).   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 wa s left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 26 And when he saw that he could not pre vail 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 ).     Soligalich  – Jacob Wrestling with the Angel ( 13 cent. ); original in the  leonovval...

2018WhiteBJ_HerzogMM

   Article: White BJ et al. Simultaneous acetabular labrum and ligamentum teres reconstruction: a case report (2018). A case of ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) reconstruction using a tendon graft is described. The text in Russian is available at the following link: 2018WhiteBJ_HerzogMM . Simultaneous acetabular labrum and ligamentum teres reconstruction: a case report   White BJ, Scoles AM, Herzog MM   CONTENT [i]   Abstract [ii]   Introduction [iii]   Materials and Methods [iv]   Results [v]   Discussion & Conclusion [vi]   References [vii]   Application [i]   Abstract This study aims to present the surgical technique for reconstructing both the acetabular labrum and the ligamentum teres and to describe the early outcomes of this procedure in a 15-year-old male with recurrent hip instability. A 15-year-old patient with recurrent left hip dislocation, hip joint instability and failed non-operative intervention presented f...

LCF in 2025 (August)

  LCF in 2025 ( August )   (Quotes from articles and books published in  August  2025 mentioning the ligamentum capitis femoris)   Castro, A., de Melo, C., & Leal, F. (2025). Complications in hip Arthroscopy: Recognizing and managing adverse events. Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma , 103144.   [i]   journal-cot.com   Negayama, T., Nishimura, H., Murata, Y., Nakayama, K., Takada, S., Nakashima, H., ... & Uchida, S. (2025). Factors associated with treatment failure after hip arthroscopic surgery for the patient with femoroacetabular impingement secondary to Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. Journal of ISAKOS , 100937.   [ii]   jisakos.com   Wegman, S. J., Shaikh, H., Brodell Jr, J. D., Cook, P. C., & Giordano, B. D. (2025). Femoral head osteochondral allograft transplantation with and without simultaneous periacetabular osteotomy: a case series. Journal of Hip Preservation Surgery , hnaf037.   [iii] ...

LCF in 2025 (July)

    LCF in 2025 ( July )   (Quotes from articles and books published in July 2025 mentioning the ligamentum capitis femoris.) Tekcan, D., Bilgin, G., & Güven, Ş. Evaluation of Risk Factors for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip. HAYDARPAŞA NUMUNE MEDICAL JOURNAL , 65 (2), 99-103.   [i]   jag.journalagent.com   Domb, B. G., & Sabetian, P. W. (2025). Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome: Gluteal Tendinopathy, Partial Tear, Complete Tear, Iliotibial Band Syndrome, and Bursitis. In Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (pp. 1-17). Springer, Cham.   [ii]   link.springer.com   Kuhns, B. D., Becker, N., Patel, D., Shah, P. P., & Domb, B. G. (2025). Significant Heterogeneity in Existing Literature Limits Both Indication and Outcome Comparability Between Studies Involving Periacetabular Osteotomy For Acetabular Dysplasia With or Without Arthroscopy Despite Improvement for Both: A Systematic Review. Arthroscopy .   [iii]   ...

LCF in 2024 (September)

Publications about the LCF 2024 (September). Chen, P. L., Lu, Y. H., & Hsieh, C. P. (2024). Hip Arthroscopy-assisted Reduction for Irreducible Hip Dislocation: A Case Report.  Formosan Journal of Musculoskeletal Disorders ,  15 (3), 115-119. [i]   journals.lww.com   Domb, B. G., Owens, J. S., Lall, A. C., Harris, W. T., & Kuhns, B. D. (2024). Ten-Year Outcomes in Patients Aged 40 Years and Older After Primary Arthroscopic Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement With Labral Repair.  The American Journal of Sports Medicine , 03635465241270291. [ii] journals.sagepub.com   Rossi, F. W., Osman, M., & Mormile, I. (Eds.). (2024).  Prognostic and Predictive Factors in Autoimmune Connective Tissue Disorders . Frontiers Media SA. [iii] books.google.fi   Jimenez, R. Q., Walsh, E., & Domb, B. G. (2024). Revision Hip Arthroscopy: Getting It Right the Second Time.  Operative Techniques in Sports Medicine , 151108. [iv] ...

LCF in 2024 (October)

  Publications about the LCF 2024  ( October ) .   Gänsslen, A., Lindtner, R. A., Krappinger, D., & Franke, J. (2024). Pipkin fractures: fracture type-specific management. Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery.  1-14. [i]   link.springer.com   Vesey, R. M., MacDonald, A. A., Brick, M. J., Bacon, C. J., Foo, G. L., Lu, M., ... & Woodward, R. M. (2024). Imaging characteristics of hip joint microinstability: a case–control study of hip arthroscopy patients. Skeletal Radiology.   05 Oct: 1-11.   [ii]   link.springer.com   Wu, W., Liu, M., Zhou, C., Mao, H., Wu, H., Wu, Z., & Ma, C.  (2024).  Efficacy of Outside‐In Hip Arthroscopy without Traction in the Treatment of Hip Synovial Osteochondromatosis. Orthopaedic Surgery.  9999:n/a.   [iii]   onlinelibrary.wiley.com   Yang, J., Zhang, T., Zhu, X., He, Z., Jiang, X., & Yu, S. (2024). miRNA-223-5p Inhibits Hypoxia-induced Apoptosi...

LCF in 2026 (January)

  L CF in 2026 ( January )   (Quotes from articles and books published in  January  2026 mentioning the ligamentum capitis femoris)   Villegas Meza, A. D., Nocek, M., Felan, N. A., Speshock, A., Bolia, I. K., & Philippon, M. J. (2025). Hip Microinstability: Current Concepts in Diagnosis, Surgical Management, and Outcomes A Narrative Review. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine , 205-221.   [i]   tandfonline.com   ,   dovepress.com   Wang, C. H., Wang, J. H., Lin, Y. H., Shih, C. A., & Hong, C. K. (2026). An Unusual Mechanical Cause of Hip Subluxation Following Modified Dunn Procedure for Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis: A Case Report. Formosan Journal of Musculoskeletal Disorders , 10-4103.   [ii]     journals.lww.com   Alsaghaier, A. (2026). Results of spica cast in treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip in children between 6-18 Months. Journal of Academic Research , 30 , 28-43.   [...

LCF in 2024 (April)

  Marešová, S., Kuricová, M., & Lipták, T. (2024). Assessment of New Radiographic Traits in Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD). Acta Veterinaria, 74(1), 30-43. [i]   sciendo.com   Koch, A., Kasprzyk, M., Musielak, B., & Jóźwiak, M. (2024). Long-term outcomes of reconstructive treatment for painful dislocations in patients with cerebral palsy. Journal of Children's Orthopaedics, March 24, 18632521241233165. [ii]   journals.sagepub.com Bido, J., Meyers, K. N., Gonzalez, F. Q., Zigan, C., Wright, T., & Rodriguez, J. A. (2024). Contribution of the Medial Ilio-femoral Ligament to Hip Stability After Total Hip Arthroplasty Through the Direct Anterior Approach. The Journal of Arthroplasty. 25 March. [iii] arthroplastyjournal.org Richter, C., Ishøi, L., Kraemer, O., Hölmich, P., & Thorborg, K. (2024). Association of 5-Year Hip Arthroscopy Outcomes with Hip Morphology and Cartilage Status at Time of Surgery: A National Registry Study With HAGOS O...

Online Journal «ABOUT ROUND LIGAMENT OF FEMUR», January 2026

  The journal 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. The resource is the English-language part of the project:  ONLINE JOURNAL:  Ligamentum capitis femoris .   Updates:  As new materials are prepared. Mission :   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. Publisher:  Arkhipov S.V., independent researc...

LCF in 2025 (June)

  LCF in 2025 ( June )   (Quotes from articles and books published in June 2025 mentioning the ligamentum capitis femoris)   Kuhns, B. D., Kahana-Rojkind, A. H., Quesada-Jimenez, R., McCarroll, T. R., Kingham, Y. E., Strok, M. J., ... & Domb, B. G. (2025). Evaluating a semiquantitative magnetic resonance imaging-based scoring system to predict hip preservation or arthroplasty in patients with an intact preoperative joint space.  Journal of Hip Preservation Surgery , hnaf027.    [i]     academic.oup.com   Iglesias, C.  J. B., García, B. E. C., & Valarezo, J. P. P. (2025) CONTROLLED GANZ DISLOCATION.   EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) - Peer Reviewed Journal. 11(5)1410-13. DOI: 10.36713/epra2013    [ii]       researchgate.net   Guimarães, J. B., Arruda, P. H., Cerezal, L., Ratti, M. A., Cruz, I. A., Morimoto, L. R., ... & Ormond Filho, A. G. (2025). Hip Microins...