Ligament: Ligament of head of femur
Left hip-joint, opened by removing the floor of the acetabulum from within the pelvis. (Ligamentum teres visible at center.)
Hip-joint, front view. The capsular ligament has been largely removed. (Ligam. teres visible at center.)
Latin	ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres femoris
Gray's	subject #92 336
From	femur head
To	acetabular notch
Dorlands/Elsevier	l_09/12491775

The ligament of the head of the femur, also known as the ligamentum capitis femoris or the ligamentum teres femoris, is a triangular, somewhat flattened band implanted by its apex into the antero-superior part of the fovea capitis femoris; its base is attached by two bands, one into either side of the acetabular notch, and between these bony attachments it blends with the transverse ligament.

It is ensheathed by the synovial membrane, and varies greatly in strength in different subjects; occasionally only the synovial fold exists, and in rare cases even this is absent.

The ligament is made tense when the thigh is semiflexed and the limb then abducted or rotated outward; it is, on the other hand, relaxed when the limb is adducted.

Research suggests it contributes little influence as a ligament past childhood,^[1][2] although it may still be important in transmitting arterial supply to the head. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the ligament gives the femur a stabilizing strength which, as in the orangatan, some animals lack^[3].

[edit] References

1. ^ Tan CK, Wong WC, Singapore Medical Journal, "Absence of the ligament of head of femur in the human hip joint", 1990 Aug; 31(4):360-3.
2. ^ Gray's Anatomy
3. ^ Femur article, Encyclopedia Britannica.

[edit] Additional images

A human femur head with some synovium attached at the bottom and the ligament of the head of the femur attached at the top. A blue suture wire is drawn through the ligament. Ruler in centimeters at left side.

Structures surrounding right hip-joint.

[edit] External links

• Ligament+of+head+of+femur at eMedicine Dictionary
• Anatomy at Dartmouth hip/hip%20ligaments/ligaments6

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.

v • d • e Joints and ligaments of lower limbs (TA A03.6, GA 3.333) Coxal/hip femoral (iliofemoral, pubofemoral, ischiofemoral) · head of femur · transverse acetabular Knee-joint Anterior meniscofemoral ligament · Posterior meniscofemoral ligament extracapsular: patellar · popliteal (oblique, arcuate) · collateral (medial/tibial, fibular/lateral) intracapsular: cruciate (anterior, posterior) · menisci (medial, lateral) · transverse Infrapatellar fat pad Tibiofibular Superior tibiofibular anterior of the head of the fibula · posterior of the head of the fibula Inferior tibiofibular anterior of the lateral malleolus · posterior of the lateral malleolus other Interosseous membrane of leg Joints of foot Talocrural/ankle medial: medial of talocrural joint/deltoid (anterior tibiotalar, posterior tibiotalar, tibiocalcaneal, tibionavicular) lateral: lateral collateral of ankle joint (anterior talofibular, posterior talofibular, calcaneofibular) Subtalar/talocalcaneal anterior/posterior · lateral/medial · interosseous Transverse tarsal Talocalcaneonavicular dorsal talonavicular · plantar calcaneonavicular/spring · bifurcated (calcaneonavicular) Calcaneocuboid dorsal calcaneocuboid · long plantar · plantar calcaneocuboid · bifurcated (calcaneocuboid) Distal intertarsal Cuneonavicular plantar · dorsal Cuboideonavicular plantar · dorsal Intercuneiform plantar · dorsal · interosseous Other Tarsometatarsal/Lisfranc plantar · dorsal Intermetatarsal/metatarsal plantar · dorsal · interosseous · superficial transverse · deep transverse Metatarsophalangeal plantar · collateral Interphalangeal plantar · collateral Arches Longitudinal · Transverse

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