Skip to main content

1878MarshallJ

 

Fragments from the book Marshall J. Anatomy for artists (1878). The author discusses the anatomy and briefly the role of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF): «… checks adduction of the thigh, or a sinking down of the pelvis upon the opposite side, and, possibly, also limits the reciprocal, horizontal rotatory movements of the femur and the pelvis on each other».

 

Quote p. 65

The head of the femur is almost entirely received into the acetabulum, a deep socket of the hip-bone, thus forming the largest and most complete ball-and- socket joint in the body. At a point on the inner side of the head of the femur, a little below and also behind its centre, is a small rough, bifid , depression, for the attachment of the ligamentum teres of the hip-joint. Opposite this point, the head of the bone is, however, more prominent than elsewhere, and corresponds with a non- articular depressed portion of the acetabulum.

 

Quote p. 68

The ligamentum teres, which is attached by one end to the head of the femur, descends within the hip-joint, to be attached to the margins of this notch ; continuous with the notch, is a broad, shallow excavation, of a circular form, the fovea or pit of the acetabulum, which extends into the floor of the socket, and lodges that ligament, together with some fatty tissue and blood-vessels . Owing to the presence of this pit or excavation, the floor of the acetabulum is comparatively thin, and often translucent in the dried bone ; but it has no weight to bear, and merely protects the ligamentum teres and other soft parts. The articulating portion of the acetabulum is placed out-side or around the circular fovea ; but, like the rim of the socket itself, it is interrupted, opposite to the notch ; hence the articular portion of the acetabulum, which is in contact with the head of the femur, does not form a complete cup, but consists of a wide crescentic zone, or semilunar surface, smoothed for the encrusting articular cartilage, and intervening between the slightly roughened circular excavation and the rim of the socket ; its widest part is above, where the greatest weight has to be borne; the narrower parts of the crescent extend in front of and behind the notch, where little or no weight has to be supported.

 

FIG. 88. The Hip Joint seen from the front, and laid open, showing the acetabulum, the cotyloid ligament, and the ligamentum teres.

 

Quote p. 221

The head of the femur is connected directly with the bottom of the socket, by the ligamentum teres, or round ligament, fig. 88, which is unique, in the fact that it passes across the interior of the joint. It is not cord-like in shape, however, but triangular ; its narrower end is fixed to the double pit on the inner aspect of the head of the femur ; becoming flattened, it passes down, along a slight depression on the inner side of the head of the bone, fig . 90, and is attached by its base, which is divided into two parts, to the ischial and pubic margins of the notch of the acetabulum, blending with the ends of the transverse ligament. It is completely invested by a tubular prolongation of the synovial membrane. It is usually strong, but it differs much in thickness, in different individuals.

 

FIG. 90. Vertical section through the Hip Joint showing the structure of the bones the encrusting cartilage the ligamentum teres and the loose folded capsule.

 

Quote p. 223

Every movement of the head of the femur in the acetabulum, is reciprocated by an opposite movement of the innominate bone, and, therefore, of the entire pelvic girdle, on the head of the thigh-bone. Thus, the backward movement of the pelvis, performed in standing upright, is equivalent to extension, and the forward movement in stooping, to flexion of the thigh ; the inclination of the pelvis, outwards or inwards, corresponds to abduction or adduction, of the thigh ; whilst the swinging of the pelvis horizontally forwards or backwards, is equivalent to rotation of the thigh inwards or outwards. The ligamentum teres checks adduction of the thigh, or a sinking down of the pelvis upon the opposite side, and, possibly, also limits the reciprocal, horizontal rotatory movements of the femur and the pelvis on each other.

 


External links

Marshall J. Anatomy for artists; illustrated by two hundred original drawings by J.S. Cuthbert, engraved by J. and G. Nichols. London: Smith, Elder & Co, 1878.   archive.org , books.google 

Authors & Affiliations

John Marshall (1818-1891) was a English anatomist and surgeon, Professor of Anatomy at the Royal Academy. wellcomecollection.org


John Marshall. Photograph by G. Jerrard; original in the wellcomecollection.org (CC0 – Public Domain, no changes).

John S. Cuthbert (1844-1917) Illustrator of books.


Keywords

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

                                                                                                                  

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


BLOG CONTENT 

MORPHOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY

19th Century

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

ILIOTIBIAL TRACT & LCF

  ILIOTIBIAL TRACT & LCF There is an opinion that the iliotibial tract, like the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF), provides pressing of the acetabulum to the lower surface of the femoral head. I think that this is not true. The tract is located above and lateral to the center of rotation of the hip joint. Its force vector, like the force vector of the abductor group of muscles, presses the acetabulum to the upper part of the femoral head, which increases the load on it. The ligamentum capitis femoris acts in the opposite direction. Below is a diagram for a single-support position. #ligamentum_teres   #hip   #biomechanics   #ligamentum_capitis_femoris Publication in the facebook group 04/12/2025.                                                                              ...

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...

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...

1823CooperA

  According to the author, the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) is intended to prevent dislocations in all directions. A. Cooper discusses traumatic obturator dislocation of the hip joint and LCF injury in more detail. Cooper A. Abhandlung über Luxationen und Fracturen der Gelenke des Unterkiefers, der obern Extremitäten und der Knochen des Rumpfes. Aus dem Englischen. Weimar : Landes-Industrie-Comptoir, 1823. [fragments] Quote p. 1 4 8 Das ligamentum teres hat die Bestimmung, Luras tionen nach allen Richtungen hin zu verhindern, besonders aber nach abwärts, denn wenn die Schenkel weit ausein andergespreizt werden, wie z. B. bei'm Fechten, so würde der Kopf des linken Oberschenkelknochens in Gefahr feyn, aus seiner Gelenkhöhle zu schlüpfen, was aber durch dieses Ligament verhindert wird. The ligamentum teres is designed to prevent dislocations in all directions, especially downwards, because when the thighs are widely ab...

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., ...

A Novel Technique for Proximal Fixation

  Arkhipov SV. A Novel Technique for Proximal Fixation of Ligamentum Capitis Femoris Reconstruction: The Gifts of the Magi for Orthopedic Surgeons. About Round Ligament of Femur. January 14, 2026. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25269.33763 https://roundligament.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-gifts-of-magi-for-orthopedic.html Abstract Purpose: To describe an experimental technique for proximal fixation in ligamentum capitis femoris (ligamentum teres femoris; LCF) reconstruction using pubic and ischial portions anchored in corresponding pelvic bone tunnels, tested on synthetic hip joint models, and to propose it’s for arthroscopic application with visualization via an inferior portal and femoral tunnel. Methods: Synthetic polyurethane bone analogs (Synbone) of the pelvis and proximal femur were used to fabricate hip joint models. Acetabular cartilage analogs were created from self-curing plastic compound. Femoral tunnels were drilled along the neck axis from the subtrochanteric region below the tub...

1740KulmusJA

Fragments from the book Kulmus JA. Tables anatomiques (1734). The author briefly writes about the anatomy, properties and attachment of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). There are known translations of the treatise into Latin ( 1732KulmusJA ) and French ( 1734KulmusJA ). Quote p. 51 [Deu] Translation [Eng] с . In the upper part of the head there is a recess in which the round ligament is attached. Quote p. 54 [Deu] Translation [Eng] 2.) The round ligament is short but very strong; it arises at the bottom of the acetabulum and joins the fossa at the top of the femoral condyle. External links Kulmus JA. Anatomische Tabellen: Nebst dazu gehörigen Anmerckungen und Kupffern, Daraus des gantzen Menschlichen Cörpers Beschaffenheit und Nutzen deutlich zu ersehen; Welche Den Anfängern der Anatomie zu bequemer Anleitung verfasset hat… Nuremberg, Frankfort, Leipzig: J.A. von Creutz, MDCCXXXX [1740].  [ archive.org ] Authors & Affiliations Johann Adam Kulmus (...

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...

Human Children. Retelling of Chapter 13

  Short retelling of chapter 13 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 13. PROPHETIC DREAMS After his wanderings and battles, Abraham settles in “Mamre’s oaks in Hebron.” Following these events, he experiences a divine “word in a vision” and a dream promising him lands “from Egypt’s river to the great river, Euphrates.” His family relocates to a desert along the Shur road, near the well “Beer-Lahai-Roi,” between Kadesh and Bered. In another divine appearance, Abraham is commanded to circumcise all males’ foreskins, rename Sarai as Sarah, and is told he’ll father a child at 100, despite Sarah’s barrenness at 89. That day, Abraham circumcises his son Ishmael, household males, and, at 99, himself. In Mamre’s oaks, during “daytime heat,” a mirage foretells fatherhood. The dream shifts, showing Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction and Lot’s miraculous rescue. ...

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]   ...