1887GrayH

 

Fragments from the book Gray H. Anatomy, descriptive and surgical (1887; edition: a new American, from the 11th English ed.). The selected passages on the anatomy of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) and original illustrations of Henry Carter with additional drawings in later editions. 

Quote p. 177

The cotyloid cavity, or acetabulum, is a deep, cup-shaped, hemispherical depression, directed downward, outward, and forward; formed internally by the os pubis, above by the ilium, behind and below by the ischium, a little less than two-fifths being formed by the ilium, a little more than two-fifths by the ischium, and the remaining fifth by the pubic bone. It is bounded by a prominent, uneven rim, which is thick and strong above, and serves for the attachment of the cotyloid ligament, which contracts its orifice and deepens the surface for articulation. It presents below a deep notch, the cotyloid notch, which is continuous with a circular depression, the fossa acetabuli, at the bottom of the cavity: this depression is perforated by numerous apertures, lodges a mass of fat, and its margins, as well as those of the notch, serve for the attachment of the ligamentum teres. The notch is converted, in the natural state, into a foramen by a dense ligamentous band which passes across it. Through this foramen the nutrient vessels and nerves enter the joint.

Quote p. 184

The head, which is globular, and forms rather more than a hemisphere, is directed upward, inward, and a little forward, the greater part of its convexity being above and in front. Its surface is smooth, coated with cartilage in the recent state, except at a little behind and below its centre, where is an ovoid depression, for the attachment for the ligamentum teres. 

Fig. 126. — Right Femur. Anterior Surface. [fragment]

Quote pp. 251-252

Supplemental Bands of the Capsular Ligament. — In addition to the coracohumeral ligament, the capsular ligament is strengthened by supplemental bands in the interior of the joint. One of these bands is situated on the inner side of the joint, and passes from the inner edge of the glenoid cavity to the inner part of the lesser tuberosity of the humerus. This is sometimes known as Flood's ligament, and is supposed to correspond with the ligamentum teres of the hip-joint. A second of these bands is situated at the lower part of the joint, and passes from the under edge of the glenoid cavity to the under part of the neck of the humerus, and is known as Schlemm’s ligament. A third, called the gleno-humeral ligament, is situated at the upper part of the joint, and projects into its interior, so that it can be seen only when the capsule is opened. It is attached above to the apex of the glenoid cavity, close to the root of the coracoid process, and, passing downward along the inner edge of the tendon of the Biceps, is attached below to the lesser tuberosity of the humerus, where it forms the inner boundary of the upper part of the bicipital groove. It is a thin, ribbon-like band, occasionally quite free from the capsule.

Quote p. 268

I. Hip-joint (Fig. 179). This articulation is an enarthrodial or ball-and-socket joint, formed by the reception of the head of the femur into the cup-shaped cavity of the acetabulum. The articulating surfaces are covered with cartilage, that on the head of the femur being thicker at the centre than at the circumference, and covering the entire surface, with the exception of a depression just below its centre for the ligamentum teres; that covering the acetabulum is much thinner at the centre than at the circumference. It forms an incomplete cartilaginous ring of a horseshoe shape, being deficient below, where there is a circular depression, which is occupied in the recent state by a mass of fat covered by synovial membrane. The ligaments of the joints are the Capsular. Teres. Ilio-femoral. Cotyloid. Transverse.

Fig. 179. — Left hip-joint laid open.

Quote p. 270

The Ligamentum Teres is a triangular band implanted by its apex into the depression a little behind and below the centre of the head of the femur, and by its broad base into the margins of the cotyloid notch, becoming blended with the transverse ligament. It is formed of connective tissue, surrounded by a tubular sheath of synovial membrane. Sometimes only the synovial fold exists, or the ligament may be altogether absent. The ligament is made tense when the hip is semiflexed, and the limb then adducted and rotated outward; it is, on the other hand, relaxed when the limb is abducted. It has, however, but little influence as a ligament, though it may to a certain extent limit movement, and would appear to be merely a modification of the folds which in other joints fringe the margins of reflection of synovial membranes (see page 218). 

Fig. 180. — Hip-joint, showing the ilio-femoral ligament. (After Bigelow.)

Quote p. 271

The Synovial Membrane is very extensive. Commencing at the margin of the cartilaginous surface of the head of the femur, it covers all that portion of the neck which is contained within the joint; from the neck it is reflected on the internal surface of the capsular ligament, covers both surfaces of the cotyloid ligament and the mass of fat contained in the depression at the bottom of the acetabulum, and is prolonged in the form of a tubular sheath around the ligamentum teres, as far as the head of the femur. It sometimes communicates through a hole in the capsular ligament between the inner band of the Y-shaped ligament and the pubo-femoral ligament with a bursa situated on the under surface of the Ilio-psoas muscle.

Fig. 181. — Vertical section through hip-joint. (Henle.)

Quote pp. 271-272

Actions. — The movements of the hip are very extensive, and consist of flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, circumduction, and rotation.

The hip-joint presents a very striking contrast to the shoulder-joint in the much more complete mechanical arrangements for its security and for the limitation of its movements. In the shoulder, as we have seen, the head of the humerus is not adapted at all in size to the glenoid cavity, and is hardly restrained in any of its ordinary movements by the capsular ligament. In the hip-joint, on the contrary, the head of the femur is closely fitted to the acetabulum for a distance extending over nearly half a sphere, and at the margin of the bony cup it is still more closely embraced by the cotyloid ligament, so that the head of the femur is held in its place by that ligament even when the fibres of the capsule have been quite divided (Humphry). The anterior portion of the capsule, described as the ilio-femoral ligament, is the strongest of all the ligaments in the body, and is put on the stretch by any attempt to extend the femur beyond a straight line with the trunk. That is to say, this ligament is the chief agent in maintaining the erect position without muscular fatigue; for a vertical line passing through the centre of gravity of the trunk falls behind the centres of rotation in the hip-joints, and therefore the pelvis tends to fall backward, but is prevented by the tension of the ilio-femoral and capsular ligaments. The security of the joint may be also provided for by the two bones being directly united through the ligamentum teres; but it is doubtful whether this so-called ligament can have much influence upon the mechanism of the joint. Flexion of the hip-joint is arrested by the soft parts of the thigh and abdomen being brought into contact when the leg is flexed on the thigh; and by the action of the hamstring muscles when the leg is extended;(1) extension, by the tension of the ilio-femoral ligament and front of the capsule; adduction, by the thighs coming into contact ; adduction, with flexion by the outer band of the ilio-femoral ligament, the outer part of the capsular ligament ; abduction, by the inner band of the ilio-femoral ligament and the pubo-femoral band; rotation outward, by the outer band of the ilio-femoral ligament; and rotation inward, by the ischio-capsular ligament and the hinder part of the capsule. The muscles which flex the femur on the pelvis are the Psoas, Iliacus, Rectus, Sartorius, Pectineus, Adductor longus and brevis, and the anterior fibres of the Gluteus medius and minimus. Extension is mainly performed by the Gluteus maximus, assisted by the hamstring muscles. The thigh is adducted by the Adductor magnus, longus, and brevis, the Pectineus, the Gracilis, and lower part of the Gluteus maximus, and abducted by the Gluteus medius and minimus and upper part of the Gluteus maximus. The muscles which rotate the thigh inward are the anterior fibres of the Gluteus medius, the Gluteus minimus, and the Tensor fasciae femoris; while those which rotate it outward are the posterior fibres of the Gluteus medius, the Pyriformis, Obturator externus and internus. Gemellus superior and inferior, Quadratus femoris, Iliacus, Gluteus maximus, the three Adductors, the Pectineus, and the Sartorius.

1) The hip-joint cannot be completely flexed, in most persons, without at the same time flexing the knee, on account of the shortness of the hamstring muscles. — Cleland, Journ. of Anat. and Phys., No. 1, Old Series, p. 87.

 

External links

Gray H. Anatomy, descriptive and surgical; the drawings by H.V. Carter, ... with additional drawings in later editions. Philadelphia: Lea Bros., 1887. [hdl.handle.net]

Authors & Affiliations

Henry Gray (1825-1861) was a British anatomist and surgeon. [wikipedia.org] 

Henry Gray
Author: H. Pollock, unknown date;
original in the wikimedia.org collection (CC BY 4.0, no changes).

Henry Vandyke Carter (1831-1897) was an English anatomist, surgeon, and anatomical artist. [wikipedia.org]

 

Henry Vandyke Carter (ca. 1870)
Author: Henry Vandyke Carter;
original in the wikimedia.org collection (CC0 – Public Domain, no changes).

Keywords

ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres, ligament of head of femur, anatomy, functions

                                                                     

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