THE LIGAMENTS OF THE BODIES 115 



ligaments to a small extent; (4) muscles, to the greatest extent. 

 A short muscle may act on more than one joint; the gluteus 

 maximus extends the hip and also the knee through fascia 

 lata which overlies the rectus femoris. 



The limitation of joint motion is due to (1) extent of articular 

 surfaces; (2) bony contact; (3) approximation of soft parts; 

 (4) manner' of articulation; (5) anatomical separation of joint 

 into two, as the joints of a vertebra. 



ARTICULATIONS OF THE TRUNK 



THE ARTICULATIONS OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN 



Articulations of the vertebral column comprise five sets: 

 (1) Those between the bodies of the vertebrae; (2) between 

 the laminae; (3) between the articular; (4) the spinous; (5) and 

 the transverse processes (the last four varieties being known as 

 interneural). 



The Ligaments of the Bodies 



Anterior common, posterior common, and inter vertebral 

 substance. 



The anterior common ligament extends along the front of 

 the bodies, filling the concavities of the vertebrae from axis 

 to sacrum; it is broader below than above, and thicker oppo- 

 site the front of the body, where it is loosely connected, than 

 opposite the inter vertebral disk, where it is closely connected. 

 It consists of several layers of fibers, the superficial set extend- 

 ing from a given vertebra to the fourth or fifth below it; the 

 middle or second set extend between two or three vertebrae; 

 and the third or deep set from one to another. The ligament 

 splits for the passage of vessels to the vertebral body. 



The posterior common ligament is inside the spinal canal, 

 along the posterior surface of the bodies, and extends from 

 the axis to the sacrum. It is broader above than below, and 

 laterally presents a series of dentations over the intervertebral 

 disks, and concavities over the centres of the bodies, from 

 which it is separated by the venae basis vertebrae. It has 



