Skip to main content

1971CracraftJ

  

Content



[i] Annotaction

Fragments of the article: Cracraft J. The functional morphology of the hind limb of the domestic pigeon, Columba livia. (1971). The author studied the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) in the pigeon. Its strength is noted and its attachment areas and biomechanics are described. The LCF functions in conjunction with the posterior acetabular ligament. Translation into Russian is available at the link: 1971CracraftJ


Quote, p. 182

TERES LIGAMENT

The teres ligament (ter lig; fig. 2) arises from the dorsal portion of the head of the femur (fovea capitis; see Stolpe, 1932, p.165). A short and broad ligament, it curves ventromedially to the anteroventral edge of the inner opening of the acetabulum.

 

POSTERIOR ACETABULAR LIGAMENT

Posterior to the teres ligament is a broad ligamentous-like connective tissue band, which is named here the posterior acetabular ligament. It attaches anteriorly to the teres ligament and to the posterior portion of the fovea capitis. Its pelvic attachment is to the posterior rim of the inner opening of the acetabulum. The remaining portion of the inner opening of the acetabulum is covered by a thin membrane, which serves as the medial limit of the joint cavity. The dorsal portion is more fibrous than the ventral.

 

ARTICULAR SURFACE OF THE ACETABULUM:

Anterior and posterior to the attachment of the teres ligament, the articular cartilage is present only on the dorsal part of the acetabulum (fig. 1); the ratio of chondrocytes to fibrous connective tissue becomes progressively smaller in a ventral direction.

 

Quote, pp. 183-184

In the area of the teres ligament the articular surface of the ventral part of the acetabulum has been replaced completely by the ligament (fig. 2). Dorsally, the articular cartilage of the pelvis is composed of greater amounts of collagenous tissue.

 

Quote, p. 184

In the area of the teres ligament the structure of the articular surface does not change except that it is reduced in extent dorsally.

TEREs LIGAMENT: This is a large, strong ligament composed almost wholly of collagenous tissue. The ventral edge, near its origin from the fovea capitis, is slightly cartilaginous. The fact that the teres ligament inserts onto the ventral rim of the acetabulum is clearly evident in cross sections (fig. 2). Dorsally, a long, thin fibrous strand of tissue arises from the acetabulum, passes medially and then laterally, and attaches to the dorsal edge of the ligament; this strand represents the membrane covering the inner opening of the acetabulum (fig. 2). The membrane is clearly differentiated into two zones: (1) a lateral (facing the joint cavity), deeply staining layer of cuboidal cells, and (2) a medial (facing the abdominal cavity), wider, collagenous layer. The lateral thin zone represents the synovial membrane.

 

Quote, pp. 184-186

All the structures are apparently organized so as to set a limit to the amount of protraction.With retraction, the joint structures become loose and only regain their tautness when the femur is retracted far beyond the position that could possibly be attained under any natural conditions. As the femur approaches the fully protracted position, four parts of the joint begin to tighten and limit further anterior movement: (a) the obturator ridge moves posteroventrally and thus the joint capsule on the posterior side of the joint becomes taut, (b) the proximo-anterior surface of the shaft moves posterodorsally and the anteroventral part of the capsule (including the "ligamentum ilio-sacrale") becomes taut, (c) the shaft is moving anteriorly and so the ventral part of the capsule becomes taut, and (d) the fovea capitis moves laterally away from the inside opening of the acetabulum, causing the teres and posterior acetabular ligament to tighten. All of these features function simultaneously to set a limit to the amount of protraction. With retraction, the preceding structures change position with the following results: (a) the obturator ridge moves anterodorsally and the posterior part of the capsule becomes loose, (b) the proximo-anterior surface of the shaft moves anteroventrally and the antero-ventral part of the capsule becomes loose, (c) the shaft moves posteriorly and the ventral part of the capsule loosens, and (d) the fovea capitis moves medially toward the inside opening of the acetabulum, thus slackening the teres and posterior acetabular ligament.

 

ABDUCTION-ADDUCTION

When the femur is fully protracted, no abduction is possible because of the trochanter-antitrochanter articulation and the ventral part of the capsule, and no adduction is possible because of the teres and posterior acetabular ligaments and the posterior part of the capsule (in some specimens a slight adduction was possible).


Cracraft J. The functional morphology of the hind limb of the domestic pigeon, Columba livia. Bull Am Mus Nat Hist. New York,1971;144(3)171-268.  digitallibrary.amnh.org  ,  digitallibrary.amnh.org/pdf  


The work is cited in the following publications: LCF страуса,  LCF нандуLCF казуараLCF эму. 


Joel Cracraft. Research Fellow, Department of Ornithology. The American Museum of Natural History. Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, University of Illinois.


ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres, ligament of head of femur, anatomy, mechanical properties, birds, animals, synonym, biomechanics, 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

                                                                   


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

LCF in 2026 (July)

    LCF in 2026 (July )  (Quotes from articles and books published in July   2026 mentioning the ligamentum capitis femoris)     Çetik, R. M., Bakırcıoğlu, S., Büyükdoğan, K., Çağlar, Ö., Atay, Ö. A., & Atilla, B. (2026). Cam-type femoro-acetabular impingement: Mid-term functional results and joint awareness of arthroscopic, mini-open and surgical dislocation techniques. Acta Medica , 57 (2), 123-131.   [i]    actamedica.org   Khan, M. Y., Khan, R., Shaikh, H., Persaud, N. A., Rama, S., & Khan, Y. (2026). Evolution of Hip Arthroscopy in Modern Orthopedic Practice. Cureus , 18 (6).   [ii]   cureus.com   Sanders, W. J., Ji, X. P., & Jablonski, N. G. (2026). New remains of Stegodon zhaotongensis (Proboscidea, Stegodontidae) from the Late Miocene site of Shuitangba, Yunnan Province, China. Journal of Mammalian Evolution , 33 (3), 33.   [iii]   link.springer.com   Randelli, F. (2026...

1858IvanovAA

  Ivanov A.A., Jacob’s Wrestling with God (1849-1858) .  Depicting the circumstances and mechanism of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) injury based on the description in the Book of Genesis: 25 And Jacob 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 ).     Alexander Ivanov – Jacob’s Wrestling with God (1849-1858);  original in the  ekzeget.ru    col...

Human LCF intersection

HUMAN LCF INTERSECTION In the south of China, in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the archaeological Neolithic site of Dingsishan was investigated. Burials of 355 people were found in this place. The authors of the article (2024YeZ_LiFJ) identified 91 skeletons with traces of manipulations with the remains. They are attributed to burials of the Dingsishan III-IV phase, aged 8.0-4.5 thousand years. 13 notches were found on the proximal part of various femurs. « Cutmarks on the femoral head, neck and intertrochanteric line, as well as along the medial linea aspera of the femoral shaft, suggest that soft tissue around the hip, including the iliofemoral ligament and the iliacus and adductor muscles, was severed to disarticulate the joint.» This and other postmortem bone injuries «... suggests that corpse treatment at Dingsishan included disarticulation » (2024YeZ_LiFJ).  Figure 4 of the cited article shows the distribution and direction of cutmarks on human skeletons from Dingx...

80-58bcApollonius Citiensis

  Fragment from the treatise Apollonius Citiensis Commentary on the Hippocrates’ book On Joints ( Περὶ αρθρων π ραγματεὶα , 80-58 BC). The author notes the possibility of damage to the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) during hip dislocation. See our commentary at the link: 80-58bcApollonius Citiensis [Rus], and  2020ArkhipovSV_ProlyginaIV . Quote. [Grc] Περὶ αρθρων π ραγματεὶα . Βιβλιον γ ʹ . (original source:  1965KolleschJ_KudlienF, pp. 86, 88) Translation [Eng] Commentary On Joints ( Commentary on the Hippocrates’ book On Joints). Book 3. If the dislocated and displaced hip could not remain in place, then the physician [Hippocrates] would have clearly indicated the incurability of this case, so that we would not be led astray. Don't those who hold the opposite opinion know about the nature of joints, ligaments and the teachings about these things in general? After all, the physician considered the cause of the mild or, on the contrary, complex displacement and ...

911-612bcK2453

  Fragment of the text of clay tablet K 2453 (Nineveh; ca. 911-612 BC; maybe 5000-4000 BC). A recommendation for a ritual or magical act may mention the sheep's ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). See our commentary at the link: 911-612bcK2453 [Rus]. Quote [Akk] Clay tablet К 2453 (original source: photo  by Ashurbanipal Library Project   cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de , text: 1906 ThompsonRC , plate. 12). Translation [Eng] Clay tablet К 2453 (reverse ) 42. (if a man’s leg is affected) SA ÚR UDU.NITÁ ša GÙB teleqqe you take the sinew from the left thigh of a sheep ( original source: 1992RothMT , p. 312). ( original source:  Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative   cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de )  External links Clay tablet; CT 23, pl. 05-14, K 02453 + (P365736). Nineveh (mod. Kuyunjik), Neo-Assyrian period (ca. 911-612 BC). [ cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de , ebl.lmu.de ] Thompson RC. Cuneiform Texts. Cuneiform Texts from Babylonian Tablets in the British Museum.  P...

Vertebrates

VERTEBRATES According to the molecular clock, a specific method for dating phylogenetic events, vertebrates (Vertebrata) separated from arthropods (Arthropoda) 976±97 Ma (2004HedgesSB_ShoeJL). The latter began to dominate in species diversity with the Cambrian burst of radiation, which occurred 520 Ma (2010EdgecombeGD). This ratio in the fauna of the Earth is still preserved. Approximately 525 Ma, the phylum Chordates separated from the group of bilaterally symmetrical animals (1995ChenJY_ZhouGQ). In turn, the evolution of chordate organisms led to the formation of the first vertebrates at least 500 Ma, from which the jawed mouths 450-400 Ma descended, becoming the ancestors of the placoderms or "armored" fish (Placodermi) (1979 НаумовНП _ КарташевНН ). Sculptural reconstruction of the placoderm Coccosteus from the order Arthrodires, Middle Devonian, 393.3-382.7  Ma ; exposition of the Orlov Paleontological Museum (Moscow); photo by the author. The first cartilaginou...

1894KeithA

  A fragment from the article by Keith A. The ligaments of the catarrhine monkeys, with references to corresponding structures in man (1894). The paper discusses the development, anatomy, and presence of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) in various monkeys. The author found in an experiment that the gibbon's LCF strength is more than 11 kg. For reference: the black-handed gibbon (Hylobates agilis) can weigh up to 8 kg ( wikipedia.org ), and the white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar) weighs 5-7 kg ( sakhalinzoo.ru ).   Quote pp. 1 58-159. Ligaments of the Hip-Joint. – Professor Bischoff (1) observed that the ligamentum teres of the hip-joint was well developed in the Gorilla. This observation has several times been verified in the Chimpanzee: Owen (2) and Langer (3) found it absent in the Orang, although traces were present. In the Gibbon it is invariably present, and after the limb was severed from the trunk by all but the ligamentum teres, I found it sustained a weight of 25 ...

1176-1178(a)Rambam

  Fragments from the book Rambam. Mishneh Torah. Sefer Shofetim, Negative Mitzvot (1176-1178). The treatise Mishneh Torah – legal code, work of Jewish law, its parts Sefer Shofetim (Kings and Wars) and Negative Mitzvot ( Negative Commandments ) was written between about 1176-1178 years in Egypt ( 1sefaria.org , 2sefaria.org ). The author mentions the pathology of ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF, גיד) in humans and points out the presence of this structure in animals.  See our commentary at the link:   1176-1178(a)Rambam [Rus]. Quote 1. [Heb] Mishneh Torah. Sefer Shofetim, 9.1 (original source:  sefaria.org ) Quote 2. [Heb] Mishneh Torah. Negative Mitzvot, 183 (original source:  sefaria.org ) Translation Quote 1. [Eng] Mishneh Torah. Laws of Kings and Wars (The Book of Judges ) , 9.1-3 9.1 Adam, the first man, was commanded with six commandments: 1) idolatry, 2) “blessing” (euphemistically) the Name (of G-d), 3) murder, 4) illicit sexual relations, 5) thievery...

1869BigelowHJ

  Fragments from the book Bigelow HJ. The mechanism of dislocation and fracture of the hip (1869). The author discusses broken of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) in hip dislocations.   Quote p. 10 In the spring of 1861, having been led to expose a joint, the luxation of which had been the subject of a lecture, I was agreeably surprised to observe the simple action of the ligament, - a simplicity which subsequent experience has confirmed, and which strikingly explains the phenomena observed in the living subject (1). The dislocated joint alluded to presented on examination the following appearances. 1. Great laceration of the muscles about the joint. 2. The ligamentum teres broken . 3. Laceration of the inner, outer, and lower parts of the capsule. 4. The anterior and upper parts of the capsule uninjured, and presenting a strong fibrous band, fan-shaped and forked. Quote p. 18   FIG. 1. — The Y ligament, showing its inner and outer fasciculi. The form...

Inferior Portal. Part 1.

  Original in Russian is available at the link:  Нижний портал. Часть 1.  below is a machine translation edited by a non-native speaker  ( version dated 03/02/2025 ) .     INFERIOR PORTAL FOR HIP ARTHROSCOPY: A PILOT STUDY PART 1. Background and Hypothesis Arkhipov S.V., Independent Researcher, Joensuu, Finland Abstract: The article presents, theoretically and graphically substantiates the technique of a new arthroscopic approach to the central compartment of the hip joint. It is proposed to introduce the optical system of the arthroscope from below through the acetabular notch without traction. Similar approaches were used for puncture, arthroscopy, arthrography, and arthrotomy of the hip joint. Diagnostics using the described lower portal will exclude complications caused by distraction of the leg and compression of the perineal support during surgery.   CONTENTS PART 1. Background and Hypothesis [1] . Introduction [2] . Passage through t...