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Fragment from the book: Harrison R. The Dublin Dissector, Or Manual of Anatomy: Comprising a Description of the Bones, Muscles, Vessels, Nerves, and Viscera; Also the Relative Anatomy of the Different Regions of the Human Body, Together with the Elements of Pathology (1840). The author describes the anatomy, topography, dimensions, attachment, and role of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF), and discusses its injury in hip dislocations. The text in Russian is available at the following link: 1840HarrisonR.


Quote pp. 518-521. 

The cotyloid ligament may be next noticed, this is the fibro-cartilaginous lip which deepens the acetabulum, and at the same time narrows its orifice, so as to hold or retain the head of the femur even after the capsular ligament and all the muscles have been divided; it is composed of strong circular fibres, these pass in deeper in those particular situations where the acetabulum in infancy was separable into three parts; it serves to deepen the cavity, and to prevent the neck of the femur striking against the sharp edge of the cavity.

Transverse ligament consists of ligamentous bands, which pass across the notch in the border of the acetabulum, some pass from the pubis to the ischium, others decussate these and pass from ischium to pubis; it completes the margin of the cavity and leaves sufficient space above it for the passage of vessels and nerves.

Inter-articular ligament, or ligamentum teres, is about an inch and a half in length [38.1 mm.], it consists of fine ligamentous fibres covered rather loosely by synovial membrane; though called round, it is rather of a triangular form, the base attached to the notch and to the depression in the acetabulum, the apex to the head of the femur; it arises by two flat bands, the superior of which is the smaller, from the margins of the cotyloid notch, these soon unite being enveloped by the synovial membrane, the ligament then runs upwards, backwards and outwards, contracting in size, between the articular fatty mass and the head of the bone, into the depression on which it is inserted.

[This ligament is frequently described incorrectly. By one extremity it is attached to the depression on the head of the femur, towards the other it divides into two roots; of which one may be traced around the lower edge of the cotyloid notch, until it is finally lost upon the face of the ischium, between its tuberosity and the edge of the acetabulum; the other root may be traced to the upper end of the notch, where it is lost near the edge of the acetabulum; hence this ligament is not necessarily torn off in the dislocation of the femur, into the obturator foramen, for in this displacement the two extremities of the ligament are approximated.]

This ligament is very rarely wanting, it serves to conduct blood-vessels from the acetabulum to the head and neck of the femur, which from its position in respect to the shaft of the bone, may require a nutritious supply from this source; some consider it may also limit too much abduction of the thigh. This joint enjoys free motion in every direction, flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation and circumduction; the depth of the acetabulum, the strength of its capsular ligament, together with the surrounding muscles, all seem well adapted to prevent luxation, such accidents, however, not unfrequently occur.

This joint is not so liable to dislocation as that of the shoulder for several reasons; in the first place, its motions are much more limited both in number and extent; second, the glenoid cavity affords little mechanical security, while the cotyloid on the contrary permits the head of the femur to sink into it; third, the oblique direction also of the head of the thigh bone presents an additional obstacle; fourth, the capsular ligament of this joint is much stronger and shorter than that of the shoulder, and it is further protected by very strong accessory fibres on the outer and upper part, which descend from the inferior anterior spine of the ilium, and by some on the inner side from the superior part of the foramen ovale.

The joint of the hip may be dislocated in four ways, backwards and upwards on the dorsum of the ilium, backwards on the ischiatic notch, forwards and upwards on the pubes, and forwards and downwards on the foramen obturatorium.

[One case has occurred of a dislocation of the femur into the perineum; this was probably a secondary displacement, supervening upon a primary dislocation into the obturator foramen. This case has never been published, but the minutes of it, are in the possession of Dr. Parker, Prof. of Surgery in the college.]

The situation of the trochanter major is a point of great importance in discriminating accidents about the hip joint, and its relation to some other prominent points should be well kept in mind; in the erect position of the body, the superior part of the trochanter major is nearly on the same level with the body of the pubes, the distance between the anterior superior spine of the ilium and the trochanter major is less than from this projection to the os pubis, or from the os pubis to the anterior superior spine, lines connecting these three points will form nearly a right angled triangie, angle, of which the longest side is the line connecting the superior spine to the pubis, and the shortest, that which joins the spine to the trochanter. In dislocation upwards or backwards the trochanter is brought nearer the superior anterior spine of the ilium, but is much less prominent than natural: in the luxation backward it is removed from the body of the pubis, and is also less prominent than natural in the dislocation into the obturator foramen, the distance between the trochanter major and the body of the pubis is lessened, while that between this process and the anterior superior spine is greater than usual.

In dislocation upwards and backwards, which is by far the most frequent, the head of the bone rests on the dorsum of the ilium, the upper part of the capsular ligament is ruptured, and the accessory and round ligamen ligaments are torn: the limb is shortened about two inches, and is inverted and almost fixed. In rotation inwards the head of the femur is pressed against the back part of the capsular ligament, and if the rotation be carried far, a considerable portion of the bone is outside the cotyloid cavity: hence the species of dislocation now described is most likely to occur when rotation inwards is accompanied by external violence, that is by the individual falling or receiving a blow when the knee and foot are turned inwards. When this dislocation has occurred the three glutæi muscles are those principally concerned in keeping the head of the bone fixed on the dorsum of the ilium; but when the limb has been extended and the head of the bone is sufficiently raised to pass over the edge of the acetabulum, the psoas and iliacus with the obturator externus and pectinalis, will assist to bring it into the proper situation. Although in common cases of dislocation we may presume, from the rapid recovery of the patient, that no other injury is done to the joint than what has been already described, yet the dissection of a case of luxation upwards and backwards has been published, in which the gemelli, pyriformis, obturators, and quadratus femoris, were completely torn across, with laceration of some fibres of the pectinalis

In the dislocation backwards, and which is also a little upwards, or that into the ischiatic notch, the head of the bone rests on the pyriformis muscle and between it and the sciatic ligaments, the limb is a little shortened, it is also inverted, but much less so than in the dislocation on the dorsum of the ilium. This dislocation also is most likely to happen when the thigh is rotated inwards and bent towards the abdomen.

When the femur is dislocated forwards on the obturator foramen, the capsular ligament and the internal accessory fibres are lacerated. The ligamentum teres is, according to Sir A. Cooper, always ruptured: the limb is lengthened about two inches, the knee advanced and abducted with slight eversion, the great trochanter is much less prominent than usual.

In dislocation upwards and forwards the head of the bone rests on the ramus of the pubis under Poupart's ligament, where it may be plainly felt; the limb is shortened, slightly flexed, and everted.

A calculation has been made, that out of twenty dislocations of the hip joint, twelve will take place on the dorsum ilii, five on the ischiatic notch, two on the foramen ovale, and one on the pubis. 

 

Harrison R. The Dublin Dissector, Or Manual of Anatomy: Comprising a Description of the Bones, Muscles, Vessels, Nerves, and Viscera; Also the Relative Anatomy of the Different Regions of the Human Body, Together with the Elements of Pathology. New York: J. & HG Langley, 1840. books.google


The work is cited in the following publications: 1848HarrisonR.


Robert Harrison (1796-1858He was appointed Demonstrator of Anatomy in the College School in 1817 and Professor of Anatomy and Physiology on August 4th, 1827. He became Professor of Anatomy and Chirurgery in the School of Physic at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1887livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk , collections.nlm.nih.gov


ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres, ligament of head of femur, anatomy, properties, role, pathology, dislocation



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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