492 A MANUAL OF ANATOMY 



Two views may be stated regarding the morphology of the Ugamentum 

 teres. 



1. It may be regarded as a part of the capsule of the hip-joint which has 

 been cut off by the outgrowth of the articular surface of the head of the femur 

 (Keith). 



2. It may be I'egarded as the separated tendon of the pectineus muscle 

 (Bland-Sutton). 



The cotyloid ligament is a firm annular band of fibro-cartilage 

 which is implanted upon the brim of the acetabulum, thereby deep- 

 ening that cavity and bridging over the cotyloid notch. Its fibres 

 are oblique in direction, and are for the most part attached to the 

 outer and inner surfaces of the brim, but opposite the cotyloid 

 notch they are attached to the transverse ligament. The outer 

 surface of the cotyloid ligament is convex, whilst the inner surface 

 is concave and is closely applied to the head of the femur. Both 

 surfaces are covered by the synovial membrane. The ligament is 

 triangular, the base being iinplanted on the brim of the acetabulum, 

 and the apex representing the free margin, which is incurved so as 

 to grasp the head of the femur. 



The transverse ligament bridges over the cotyloid notch. It is 

 somewhat complex in structure, being composed of three bundles 

 of fibres intimately blended with one another. The superficial 

 bundle is formed by that part of the cotyloid ligament which 

 stretches over the notch. The other two bundles are more 

 deeply placed, and are arranged as two decussating bands extending 

 between the margins of the notch, and blending closely with the 

 superficial bundle. The transverse ligament does not completely 

 fill up the cotyloid notch, a space being left between the ligament 

 and the bottom of the notch for the passage of articular vessels and 

 nerves. 



The synovial membrane covers the anterior surface of the neck 

 of the femur and the upper two- thirds of the posterior surface, 

 passing over the retinacula and extending as high as the margin 

 of the cartilage covering the head. From the neck it is reflected 

 over the inner surface of the capsular ligament, which it com- 

 pletely invests. After leaving the capsular ligament at its 

 acetabular attachments it passes over the cotyloid ligament, and 

 covers both of its surfaces. Thereafter it is reflected over the 

 Haversian gland in the bottom of the acetabulum, from which it is 

 prolonged as a tubular sheath around the ligamentum teres as far as : 

 the pit on the head of the femur. In those cases where the capsular j 

 ligament presents an opening between the ilio-femoral and pubo-' 

 femoral ligaments, the synovial membrane is in communication! 

 through that opening with the bursa beneath the ilio-psoas. It is; 

 to be noted that the ligamentum teres, though intracapsular, is 

 extrasynovial. Further, the synovial membrane is visible from' 

 the exterior of the joint at the lower part of its posterior aspect, | 

 on account of the very slight attachment of the capsular ligament] 

 to the back of the neck of the femur. 



The so-called synovial or Haversian gland occupies the rough 



