1730CheseldenW

Fragments from the book Cheselden W. The Anatomy of the Human Body (1730). The author draws attention to the role of ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) in counteracting hip dislocation and maintaining the femoral head in the joint. The work notes that the LCF is “powerful” and “short” - “about two inches” i.e. approximately 5 cm! This error will be corrected in a subsequent treatise (1733CheseldenW).

Quote pp. 43-44

Chap. VII. Of the Ligaments

At the upper part of the articulation of the Os Femoris and Os Innominatum, is a strong ligament of great consequence; it contributing very much to preserve that joint from being luxated by the weight of the body. And from the lower edge of the Acetabulum of the Os Innominatum, runs a ligament to the middle of the head of the Os Femoris, about two inches long (which the Motion in this joint requires) called Teres, or Rotundum, whose use is to prevent the Os Femoris from being luxated upwards, but down wards it will let it go far out of the socket ; which fully shews, that in men it is particularly contrived to prevent the thigh-bone from being dislocated upwards ; but in brutes the head of the Os Femoris being oblong, and the cavity suitable, there can be only a rotatory motion , which in the effect will be very little more than that kind of motion which is called bending and extending; and this never removing the end of the head of the bone far in the socket, a short ligament is enough for it, and will better keep the bone in its place ; and therefore it is that theirs is so short. This ligament in men may also serve to press the gland in the bottom of the Acetabulum or socket.

Quote p. 47

VIII. Of the lubricating Glands of the Joints

There is one large gland of this sort, seated in a Sinus at the bottom of the Acetabulum of the Os Innominatum, which is compressed by the Ligamentum Teres.

External links

Cheselden W. The Anatomy of the Human Body. London: W. Bowyer, 1730. [books.google]

Cheselden W. Osteographia, or the anatomy of the bones. London: W. Bowyer [?], 1733. [ archive.org , collections.nlm.nih.gov]

Authors & Affiliations

William Cheselden (1688-1752) was an English surgeon and teacher of anatomy and surgery. [wikipedia.org]

William Cheselden (18th century)
Author: Jonathan Richardson, engraved possibly by Ambroise Tardieu;
original in the wikimedia.org collection (CC0 – Public Domain, no changes)

Keywords

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

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

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ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE

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