Skip to main content

1679DiemerbroeckI

 

Fragments from the book Diemerbroeck I. Anatome corporis humani (1679). The author describes the pathology variants, function, topography and attachment of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). The damage to the LCF in hip dislocation, symptoms and treatment are discussed. The text is similar to a paraphrase of Hegetor's work «On Causes» and Galen of Pergamon's commentary on Hippocrates' treatise «On Joints» (1745CocchiA2020ArkhipovSV_ProlyginaIV). Isbrand van Diemerbroeck uses many synonyms for LCF: nervus cartilaginosus, terete, teres, rotundum ligamentum, interius ligamentum.

Quote p. 593.

[Lat]

CAPUT XIX.

De Ossibus Femoris, & Cruris.

Superius procesum crassum, versus coxendicis os prominentem, eique epiphyin rotundam & amplam impositam habet, sicque globosum femoris caput, valida cervice subnixum, constituit, quod cartilagine obductum in coxendicis acetabulum reconditur, in eoque duobus validis ligamentis detinetur: uno lato, crasso, & membranoso, quod articulum totum circumdat: altero tereti, quod ab ipsa cavitate acetabuli productum, in femoris susceptum caput inferitur, idque acetabulo sirmissimè connectit, atque sic articulatio hæc per enarthrosin persicitur.

Quote pp. 604-605.

[Lat]

CAPUT VI.

De Ligamentis Cruris & Pedis.

Femur ischio copulatur duobus vinculis. Unum, quod exterius, totum articulum ambit, estque latum, durum crissum, & validum. Alterum, quod interius, & non nisi resecto priore conspici potest, ex acetabuli fundo procedens, mox in medium femoris caput inseritur, estque oblongum, teres, & durum, atque hinc Nervus cartilaginosus, nonnullis appellatur. Hæc ligamenta si per defluxiones pituitosorum humorum, in acetabulum delabentium, nimis laxentur, sit hujus articuli luxatio, quæ osse in locum restituto, per medicamenta exsiccantia & corroborantia, commodasque fasciationes curatur. At si ab acri fluxione erodantur & corrumpantur, sit immedicabile malum: vel si à violento externorum impetu illa luxation contingat, tunc interius rotundum ligamentum plerumque disrumpitur, quia ob singularem duritiem tantam tamque subitam non patitur extenionem, ut extra profundum acetabulum foras sine ruptione elabi possit, atque hinc talis luxatio prorsus incurabilis existit: quamvis enim os in suum locum seu acetabulum reducatur, tamen mox iterum excidit, propter interius ligamentum disruptum, sicque ægri claudicantes manent, luxato crure breviore existente altero: quod diligenter notandum chirurgis, ne in tali dislocatione articuli restitutionem, cum maximis ægri tormentis, identidem frustra moliantur.

Translation

[Eng]

Quote p. 593.

Chapter XIX.

Of the bones of the femur and tibia.

Above there is a thick process directed towards the pelvic bone, and on it is a round and large epiphyseal plate, thus forming a round head of the femur, supported by a strong neck. This head is covered with cartilage and placed in the acetabulum of the pelvis, where it is held by two strong ligaments: one broad, thick and membranous, which surrounds the entire joint; the other rounded, which begins directly in the cavity of the acetabulum and is immediately attached to the head of the femur, firmly connecting it with the acetabulum. Thus this joint provides mobility by enarthrosis.

Quote pp. 604-605.

[Eng]

Chapter VI.

Of the Ligaments of the Leg and Foot.

The thigh is connected to the pelvis by two ligaments. One, which is external, surrounds the entire joint is broad, strong and thick. The other, internal, which is visible only after the removal of the first, comes out of the bottom of the acetabulum and is immediately inserted into the middle of the head of the femur, is long, round and strong, and is therefore called by some the cartilaginous nerve. If these ligaments become too weak due to the flow of mucous fluids entering the acetabulum, then a dislocation of the joint occurs, which is treated with drying and strengthening medicines and suitable bandages. But if they are corroded and injured by a sharp flow, then this is an incurable misfortune: or if the dislocation occurs from a strong external blow, then the internal round ligament usually breaks, since, due to its special hardness, it cannot stretch to such a degree as to be displaced from the deep acetabulum without breaking. Therefore such a dislocation is absolutely incurable: even if the bone is returned to its place in the acetabulum, it soon falls out again due to the torn internal ligament, and so the patients remain lame, with a dislocated and shortened leg. This must be carefully taken into account by surgeons, so as not to try again and with great suffering for the patient to unsuccessfully attempt to reset the joint.






External links

Diemerbroeck I. Anatome corporis humani; plurimis novis inventis instructa variisque observationibus, & paradoxis, cùm medicis, tum physiologicis adornata. Lugduni: Sumpt. Joan. Antonij Huguetan, & Soc., M.DC.LXXIX [1679]. [books.google]

Authors & Affiliations

Isbrand van Diemerbroeck (Ijsbrand, Ysbrand; 1609-1674) was a Dutch physician, anatomist, and professor of medicine and anatomy at Utrecht University. [wikipedia.org]

Isbrand van Diemerbroeck (circa 1670)
Author Johannes Edelinck, original in the 
wikimedia.org collection
(CC0 – Public Domain, no changes)

Keywords

ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres, ligament of head of femur, anatomy, attachment, damage, injury, dislocation, properties, role, synonym

                                                                    

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

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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., ...

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...

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...

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...

2019(a)ArkhipovSV_SkvortsovDV

  Ligamentum capitis femoris: first written mentions  S.V. Arkhipov,  D.V. Skvortsov SUMMARY   Background. A ligamentum capitis femoris (syn. ligamentum teres) is one of the least studied anatomical structures. We know little about its role in the musculoskeletal system, and even less about its first written mentions. Purpose. This article is intended to clarify who and when first described the connection of the head of the femur in the medical literature, and to provide a hypothesis about its first mention in the history of mankind. Material and methods. We reviewed the oldest written sources available to us, covering the anatomy of the hip joint and ligamentum capitis femoris. Conclusion. The first description of the ligamentum capitis femoris in the medical text is given by Hippocrates of Kos in the treatise Instruments of Reductions (V-IV century BC). According to our hypothesis, the first in the history of mankind to mention a ligamentum capitis femoris, is cont...

16th Century

  16th Century Catalog of archived publications of the specified period        1500-1509 1510-1519 1510Leonardo_da_Vinci  In the drawing, a uthor  depicted the distal fragment of the LCF. 1520-1529 1521Berengario da CarpiJ  The author comments on the treatise by Mondino de Luzzi, describes the form, role and symptoms of LCF damage.  1527BenedettiA  The author explains the origin of the rare synonym of LCF – ischion.    1530-1539 1540-1549 1541MondinoL_DryanderJ  An early description of the anatomy and role of the LCF is presented.  1541PolluxJ  In Greek the author calls LCF «ἰσχίον», and the translator designates the concept of «ligament/sinew» with the term «neruus». 1543(a)VesaliusA  The author describes the anatomy, attachment, properties and role of LCF, also interprets its synonyms.  1543(b)VesaliusA  The author describes the attachment and shape of the LCF.  1544GuidiG  The author p...

Signet ring

   Signet ring , bas-relief – Jacob wrestling with an angel.  Variant of 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   ( 2024 АрхиповСВ. Девятый месяц, одиннадцатый день ).     https://www.familysealrings.com/Faith-Rings.html Signet ring , bas-relief – Ja...

1877MorrisH

An excerpt from the article by Morris H. Dislocations of the Thigh: their mode of occurrence as indicated by experiments, and the Anatomy of the Hip-joint (1877, pp. 161-170). The author noted that the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) is stretched during flexion, adduction, and external rotation. It was found that the LCF is always damaged in hip dislocations, is more often torn from the femur, and is rarely ruptured. Discussion of article see article 1877BrookeC .   DISLOCATIONS OF THE THIGH: THEIR MODE OF OCCURRENCE AS INDICATED BY EXPERIMENTS AND THE ANATOMY OF THE HIP-JOINT. BY HENRY MORRIS, M.A., M.B., F.R.C.S., ASSISTANT SURGEON TO, AND LECTURER ON ANATOY1 AT, THE MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL. Received January 9th-Read February 13th, 1877. RECENTLY, whilst making various dissections of the hip-joint, the usually accepted doctrine that dorsal and ischiatic dislocations of the femur occur when the thigh is in a position of adduction appeared to me as very improbable, on anatomi...

1849QuainJ

  Fragments from the book by Jones Quain (fifth edition): Elements of anatomy Vol. 1 (1849), the first edition was published in 1828. The author writes about the anatomy of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) and mentions synonyms.   Quote p. 278 THE HIP-JOINT. This is a true ball-and-socket joint, in which the globular head of the femur is received into the acetabulum or cotyloid cavity. The articulating surfaces are covered by cartilage in the greater part of their extent. It is deficient, however, at the bottom of the cavity, and also a little beneath the central point of the head of the femur; the latter marking the insertion of the round ligament, the former a shallow fossa for the lodgment of the structure which has been called the synovial gland. The connecting means in this articulation are three ligaments, viz. a capsular, cotyloid, and interarticular ligament, together with a synovial membrane. Fig. 147. Ligaments of the pelvis and hip-joint. The view is t...

18th Century

  18th Century Catalog of archived publications of the specified period        1700-1709 1705PetitJL  The author writes about anatomy, role, and damage of the LCF in hip dislocation.  1705RuyschF  The author  describes the anatomical preparation containing the LCF, notes its areas of attachment, geometric and mechanical properties.  1706PolluxJ   The author refers to LCF as "νεῦρον" and also points out the synonym "ἰσχίον". 1709PetitJL   The author discusses the anatomy, role and damage of the LCF in hip dislocation, and also mentions the principle of treatment.  1710-1719 1715MunnicksJ   The author describes the attachment, shape, role of the LCF, and discusses subluxation of the hip. 1717HermannD  The author indicates the distal area of attachment of the LCF and uses a rare synonym. 1720-1729 1720RuyschF  The author draws attention to the well-developed blood supply of the acetabular fossa, as well as the ...