1751BöhmerPA

Fragments from the book Böhmer PA. Institutiones osteologicae in usum praelectionum academicarum cum iconibus anatomicus (1751). The author describes the topography, mechanical properties and role of the роль ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). This work has been repeatedly cited in publications by other medical writers: 1803SchregerCHT, 1880HyrtlJ. The translation was done in collaboration with ChatGPT (version 3.5) and the Google Translate service.

Böhmer PA. Institutiones osteologicae in usum praelectionum academicarum cum iconibus anatomicus. Halae Magdeburgicae: In Officina Libraria Rengeriana, MDCCLI [1751]. [fragments]

Quote pp. 263-264

§. CCCCLXXX.

Acetabularum structura, et vsus,

Sunt autem amplissima cauatam mirifice coxis adposita, vt iisdem coxae cum toto trunco diuersimode super femora moueri et inclinari possint. Quaelibet sinuositas caput femoris profundius excipiens proprie acetabulum, Gr. κοτύλῃ vocatur (§. LXXVI.), ex concursu trium ossium componitur (§. CCCCLXXVII.), et crusta cartilaginea obducitur ac augetur (§. CCCCLXVIII); defectus vero in imperfecta ipsius ora ab opposita cartilagine suppletur, et per incisuram (§. CCCCLXXXI.) vasa, a compressione libera, tutissime admittuntur. Totus denique sinus validissimo, ex supercilio eius inaequali pro deunte ligamento, firmissime cum capite ossis femoris unitur.

§. 480.

The structure of the acetabulum and its appearance,

However, there are very large cavities wonderfully placed near the hips to allow them to move and bend in various ways relative to the entire torso. Each depression in which the head of the femur is deeply embedded is called the acetabulum proper, in Greek κοτύλῃ (§. 76), consists of a connection of three bones (§. 477), is covered with a cartilaginous layer and expanded (§. 468); but there is a defect, which at the edge is filled with the opposite cartilage, and through the incision (§. 481) the vessels, free from compression, are safely passed. In the end, the entire sinus is very strong, thanks to the uneven edge, with the missing ligament, it is firmly connected to the head of the femur.

Quote p. 264

§. CCCCLXXXI.

corumque sminor in ima parte cauitas.

Quum vero anterius et lateraliter ex parte dehifcat, supercilium illius imperfectum et inaequale fit, immo sinuositas, quae in medio et versus ilia latescit, ad hiatum rursus angustatur. Cauitas minor, quam in ima parte continet, simili gaudet margine imperfecto et inaequali, ac aspera superficie, eaque non solum ligamentum teres siue planum recipit, verum etiam glandulae mucilaginosae tutissimum concedit locum, efficitque, ne tota sub motu comprimatur.

§. 481.

smaller cavity at the bottom.

Where the rupture occurs anteriorly and laterally, its [acetabulum] edge becomes incomplete and uneven, and the notch, which extends from the middle outward, narrows again to a fissure. The smaller cavity which it [the acetabulum] contains in the lower part, also has the same interrupted and uneven edge and a rough surface, which not only receives the round or flat ligament, but also provides the safest place for the mucous glands, preventing them from being completely compressed when movements.

Quote pp. 324-325

§. DLXXXVIII.

eiusque inaequalis fossa qua ligamentum teres educitur

In medio profundam et inaequalem fossam habet, ex qua ligamentum firmissimum, crassum, et elasticum educitur, quod propriae acetabuli crenae inseritur (§. CCCCLXXXI), et, vi officii, suspensorium dici meretur.

§. 588.

and its irregular fossa, through which the round ligament passes.

In the middle there is a deep and uneven fossa, from which emerges a very firm, thick and elastic ligament, which is attached to its own notch of the acetabulum (§. 481), and by its function deserves to be called suspensory.

Quote pp. 325-326

§. DXC.

Connexio capitis femoris cum acetabulo.

In commissura capitis cum collo femoris, et circulo praecipue circa basin ceruicis aspero, ligamentum vasis refertissimum, robustum, validumque capsulare, quod caput ossis femoris cum acetabulo iungit (§. CCCCLXXX), firmatur. Quo vero liberius in centro acetabuli versari, et absque vasorum, illud ingredientium (§. CCCCLXXXI.) compressione, ex glanduloso-pinguedinosis organis mucus capsam inter et caput femoris exprimi, nec, relaxato forsan articulari vinculo, os prorsus ex articulatione elabi possit; natura suspensorio prospexit ligamento (§. DLXXXVIII).

§. 590.

Connection of the head of the femur with the acetabulum.

At the junction of the head with the neck of the femur and especially around the base of the neck, there is a very dense, strong and powerful capsular ligament that connects the head of the femur with the acetabulum (§. 480) and secures it. It allows the head of the femur to move freely inside the acetabulum and without compressing the vessels entering it (§. 481), under pressure the mucus from the glandular-fatty organs is squeezed out between the acetabulum and the head of the femur, and, even if the articular ligament [capsule] weakened, the bone cannot slide completely out of the joint; is because nature has focused on the suspensory ligament (§. 588).

External links

Böhmer PA. Institutiones osteologicae in usum praelectionum academicarum cum iconibus anatomicus. Halae Magdeburgicae: In Officina Libraria Rengeriana, MDCCLI [1751]. [archive.org , books.google]

Authors & Affiliations

Philipp Adolph Böhmer (1711-1789) was a Prussian physician and professor of medicine at the University of Halle. [wikipedia.org]

Philipp Adolph Böhmer (before 1900)
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, synonym, role, mechanical properties

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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MORPHOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY

Comments

1902RilkeRM

Works of art that mention ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) are extremely rare. One such work is the poem «Der Schauende» ( He Who Visions, The Seer, The Man Watching, The Beholder) b y Rainer Rilke. Below is the original text in German. Der Schauende 1. Ich sehe den Bäumen die Stürme an, die aus laugewordenen Tagen an meine ängstlichen Fenster schlagen, und höre die Fernen Dinge sagen, die ich nicht ohne Freund ertragen, nicht ohne Schwester lieben kann. 2. Da geht der Sturm, ein Umgestalter, geht durch den Wald und durch die Zeit, und alles ist wie ohne Alter: die Landschaft, wie ein Vers im Psalter, ist Ernst und Wucht und Ewigkeit. 3. Wie ist das klein, womit wir ringen, was mit uns ringt, wie ist das groß; ließen wir, ähnlicher den Dingen, uns so vom großen Sturm bezwingen, - wir würden weit und namenlos. 4. Was wir besiegen, ist das Kleine, und der Erfolg selbst macht uns klein. Das Ewige und Ungemeine will nicht von uns gebogen sein. Das ist der Enge...

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 le...

LCF in 2026 (May)

LCF in 2026 (May ) (Quotes from articles and books published in May 2026 mentioning the ligamentum capitis femoris) Kim, P. S., Kang, C., Lee, J. K., & Hwang, J. M. (2026). Hip arthroscopy to treat symptomatic paralabral cysts: a retrospective analysis of clinical outcomes. Arthroscopy and Orthopedic Sports Medicine , 13 (1), 27-34. [i] e-aosm.org Ko, H. Y. (2026). Vascular Anatomy of the Extremities and Lungs. In Practical Functional Anatomy for Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation: A Guide for Physiatrists and Rehabilitation Specialists (pp. 191-223). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. [ii] link.springer.com Aiba, H., Yamaguchi, M., Kimura, H., & Murakami, H. (2026). Advances in limb-salvage surgery and reconstruction for pediatric bone and soft tissue tumors. Frontiers in Pediatrics , 14 , 1817788. [iii] pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Bajwa, A., Villar, R., ...

1851HyrtlJ

The author expresses a classic view on the functions of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF): a conductor of blood vessels and a limiter of adduction of the femur. J. Hyrtl believed that it was impossible to completely dislocate the hip without tearing the LCF. Hyrtl J. Lehrbuch der Anatomie des Menschen, mit Rücksicht auf physiologische Begründung und praktische Anwendung. Wien: W. Braumüller, 1851. [fragment] Quote p. 265 In der Höhle des Gelenks liegt das runde Band des Schenkelkopfes (Lig. teres), welches an der Incisura acetabuli entspringt, und bei richtiger Neigung des Beckens, senkrecht zur Grube des Schenkelkopfes aufsteigt. Es beschränkt dieses Band die Zuziehung des Schenkels, und schreibt zugleich den durch die Incisura acetabuli eindringenden Blutgefässen den Weg vor, den sie zum Oberschenkelkopfe zu nehmen haben. Da das Band, wenn es in die Höhle des Gelenkes vorragen würde, durch Reibung viel zu leiden hätte, so...

Human Children. Retelling of Chapter 14

Short retelling of chapter 14 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 14. ESAU AND JACOB At 40, Isaac marries Rebekah, his cousin’s daughter. Their marriage is long childless until Rebekah conceives twins, detected prenatally, possibly by her large belly or palpation. Genesis states that at 60, Isaac fathers the twins, born naturally after 20 years of marriage. The first, Esau, emerges “red, all hairy like a cloak,” followed by Jacob, unremarkable but grasping Esau’s heel. Over time, their differences deepen: Esau, a skilled hunter, roams fields; Jacob, gentle, stays in tents. Famine forces the family from “Beer-Lahai-Roi” in the Negev to “Gerar’s Philistine king,” then to “Gerar’s valley,” and finally to Beersheba. At 40, Jacob, urged by Rebekah, deceives blind Isaac to steal Esau’s inheritance, sparking enmity. Rebekah advises Jacob to flee to rela...

16с.Archangel_Michael

Icon «Michael the Archangel (in deeds)», stigma «The struggle of Jacob with the angel» (16th 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 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 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 ( 2024АрхиповСВ. Девятый месяц, одиннадцатый день ). Unknown author – Icon «Michael the Archangel (in deeds)»...

1626BartholinC

Fragment from the book Bartholin C. Anatomicae Institutiones Corporis Humani (1626). The author describes the anatomy, topography, geometric and mechanical properties of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). The term «terete» (rounded) is used to indicate its geometry. The term «cartilagine» (cartilaginous) is used to describe the hardness of the LCF, and the analogy of «nervus esset cartilaginosus» (like a cartilaginous sinew) is given. Similar terminological elements are present in the works of Galen of Pergamon and Theophilus Protospatharius ( 2020ArkhipovSV_ProlyginaIV ). See the previous edition at the link: 1611BartholinC Quote p. 409 [Lat] Cap. XXI. DE OSSIBUS TOTIUS PEDIS. … I. Est caput maximum & rotundum, ex appendice factum, quod in coxendicis acetabulum inseritur, & duplici ligamento cum coxendice nectitur: uno communi, lato, membraneo, sed satis crasso, orbiculatum articulum ambiente; altero terete, quasi cartilagine (ac si nervus esset cart...

1905BardeenCR

An excerpt from the article by Bardeen CR. Studies of the development of the human skeleton (1905). The author briefly discusses the emergence of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). Quote p. 287 The hip-joint is represented at first by a dense mass of scleroblastema, Fig. 55. The development of the acetabulum by ingrowth and fusion of processes from the iliac, ischial and pubic cartilages has already been described. The cartilagenous joint-cavity is at first quite shallow, Fig. 56. But extension of cartilage into the blastemal tissue which passes from the pelvis over the head of the femur serves greatly to deepen it on all sides except in the region of the cotyloid notch. The joint-cavity is at first completely filled with a dense blastemat tissue, Fig. 56. While the embryo is growing from 20 to 30 mm. in length cavity formation begins in the tissue lying between the cartilagenous floor of the acetabulum and the head of the femur. The first stage in the process is marked by a c...

1720RuyschF

The author draws attention to the well-developed blood supply of the acetabular fossa, as well as the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). In the work, it is referred to as the «ligamentum nerveo-cartilagineum», which literally means the tough cartilaginous ligament and implies its strength. With the difficulty of accessing the acetabular fossa, and therefore the LCF, Frederik Ruysch associates the inefficiency of treating hip joint pain. The writer presumably implies osteoarthritis. In our opinion, its development is initiated by the pathology of the LCF ( 2012АрхиповСВ ). The discussed work includes a black and white drawing of the LCF of a child, made by the illustrator Jan Wandelaar. In color, the same preparation, but from a different angle, was depicted by the artist Jan l'Admiral in a separate publication ( 1738LadmiralJ ). Ruysch F. Adversarium anatomico-medico-chirurgicorum decas secunda. In quâ varia notatu digna recensentur. Cum figuris aeneis. Amsterdami: a...

Human Children. Retelling of Chapter 1

Short retelling of chapter 1 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 1. THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD The Bible stands as a remarkable testament to religious and philosophical thought, passed down through the ages with minimal alterations. At its core lies a collection of texts rooted in the sacred writings of Jewish and Samaritan traditions, known as the Torah, meaning "Law" or "Teaching." In its narrowest sense, the Torah comprises the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, collectively called the Tanakh—an acronym derived from the Hebrew terms for "Law/Teaching" (Torah), "Prophets" (Nevi’im), and "Writings" (Ketuvim). Beyond this Written Torah, there exists an Oral Torah, which includes the Mishnah, Talmud, and Midrash, offering interpretations and expansions of the written texts. The Written Torah it...

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