Ligament of head of femur

Anatomy

Development

Initially, the ligament contains a small artery (the acetabular branch of the obturator artery) which becomes obliterated in late childhood.

Variation

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.

Function

The ligament becomes taut when the thigh is both flexed and either adducted or laterally/externally rotated. The ligament is usually too weak to actually function as a ligament past childhood; excessive movement at the hip joint is instead primarily limited by the three capsular ligament of the hip joint. Nevertheless, more recent research suggests the ligament may have a number of functions, including a significant biomechanical role on the basis of cadaveric studies where increases of range of motion were seen after sectioning of the ligament.

Other animals

It has been suggested that some animals, such as the orangutan and Indian elephant, lack a ligamentum teres.{{Cite book | last = Ishida | first = Hidemi | editor1-last = Ishida | editor1-first = Hidemi | editor2-last = Tuttle | editor2-first = Russell | editor3-last = Pickford | editor3-first = Martin | editor4-last = Ogihara | editor4-first = Naomichi | editor5-last = Nakatsukasa | editor5-first = Masato

File:Ligamentum capitis femoris.jpg|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 centimetres at left side. File:Gray344.png|Structures surrounding right hip-joint File:Slide2DADA.JPG|Hip joint. Lateral view. Ligament of head of femur

References

References

1. Palastanga, Nigel. (2012). "Anatomy and Human Movement: Structure and Function". Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier.
2. Palastanga, Nigel. (2012). "Anatomy and Human Movement: Structure and Function". Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier.
3. Palastanga, Nigel. (2012). "Anatomy and Human Movement: Structure and Function". Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier.
4. Tan CK, Wong WC. (August 1990). "Absence of the ligament of head of femur in the human hip joint". Singapore Medical Journal.
5. (July 2014). "The ligamentum teres-its increasing importance". Journal of Hip Preservation Surgery.
6. [http://p2.www.britannica.com/eb/article-9033963/femur#215708.hook Femur article]{{Dead link. (October 2025)
7. Crelin ES. (1988). "Ligament of the head of the femur in the orangutan and Indian elephant". Yale J Biol Med.