17 



If the cases described by Zaaijer are examined, it will be found 

 that in the majority of instances where the sulcus is mentioned a& 

 being well-marked, the bones belong to women, while conversely the 

 bones with a poorly-marked sulcus or where it is absent altogether 

 belong to men. The most striking example of this was in the series 

 of female Javanese pelves where 23 out of 26 showed the sulcus. 

 Dr. Löhr's results also indicate the same marked preference in favour 

 of the female. 



Before proceeding to a description of the conditions found in the 

 female sacro-iliac joint on dissection, it is most important to state 

 clearly what is meant by the term "anterior sacro-iliac ligaments". 

 As a matter of fact, in the erect position of the body the auricular 

 surfaces of the joint lie more nearly horizontally than vertically, so 

 that the so-called anterior and posterior sacro-iliac ligaments would 

 be better termed ventral and dorsal respectively. Further, of the 

 ventral ligament two parts are described, one of which lies above the 

 ileo-pectineal line (linea arcuata interna), while the second, and, as 

 will be shown more important part, is situated in the true pelvis. 

 Prof. Thane has suggested the names "iliac" and "pelvic" to shortly 

 describe, the position of these two parts of the ventral ligament, and 

 these terms will be employed in the following description. 



If now a dissection of the sacro-iliac joint is made in a woman, 

 the praeauricular sulcus is seen to be entirely filled with ligamentous 

 fibres, so much so indeed that the groove is quite hidden by them. 

 The more superficial fibres pass transversely from the sacrum to the 

 lips of the sulcus, and it is to these fibres that the term "pelvic" 

 specially refers. But a large number of longitudinally-directed fibres 

 find their way from the side of the sacrum horizontally forwards to 

 be attached to the floor of the groove. These latter fibres to which 

 special attention is now called, form a thick band, and appear to be 

 identical with the lig. sacro-iliac distale of Fick (Anatomie der Ge- 

 lenke, p. 295). In the sacro-iliac joints of a woman dissected in the 

 Anatomical Department of University College, this band was found 

 well - developed. It ran from the side of the third sacral vertebra 

 forward to the hinder end of the auricular surface on the ilium as a 

 rounded rope-like bundle (Fig. 4), the mass of whose fibres found 

 insertion into the floor of a deeply scooped out sulcus praeauricularis. 

 As they were followed forward they became gradually thinner until 

 they were lost on the upper margin of the ilio-sciatic notch. This 

 band lies under cover of the great sacro-sciatic ligament (lig. sacro- 

 tuberosum) and gives attachment to fibres of the pyriformis muscle 



Anat. Anz. XXXIX. Aufsätze. 2 



