Holden's human osteology : comprising a description of the bones with delineations of the attachments of the muscles, the general and microscopic structure of bone and its development / edited by Charles Stewart and R.W. Reid.

  • Holden, Luther, 1815-1905.
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Holden's human osteology : comprising a description of the bones with delineations of the attachments of the muscles, the general and microscopic structure of bone and its development / edited by Charles Stewart and R.W. Reid. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Fig. 33. Fig. 34. of the tibial articular surface on either condyle. It is seen on the lower, posterior, and upper aspects of the lower extremity of the bone. Its long axis looks from above downwards and back- wards. Its outer side is made by the free part of the inner sm-face of external condyle and shows a rough depression for the attachment of the anterior crucial ligament. The inner side is formed by the free part of the external surface of the internal condyle, and is also rough, especially in front, for the attachment of the posterior crucial ligament. It is separated posteriorly from the popliteal space of the femur by a smooth transverse non-arti- cular ridge. It is wider behind than it is in front and is marked by one or two large nutrient foramina at its deepest part. The two woodcuts (33 and 34) show very weU the attachments and the direction of the crucial ligaments a b, a c. Being attached to the condyles behind the centre, they necessarily Hmit extension beyond the straight line. But they do more : by crossing Hke braces they prevent lateral displacement of the tibia. In the erect attitude the flatter parts of the ' condyloid surfaces ' rest on the shallow excavation of the tibia, and aU the ligaments are on the stretch ; but when the knee is bent the more convex parts of the condy- loid surfaces rest on the tibia, and admit of a certain amount of rotation, all the ligaments being loose. Mechanism and Structure.-Pages might be written about the wonderful mechanical structure of this bone. The chief points, however, which strike one are: 1. The oblique position of the head and the acetabulum, with which it articulates. This allows of greater freedom of antero-posterior motion than a simple ball-and-socket joint, placed vertically, would admit of 2. The oUiqvity of the neck. This permits more of the head to rest m the acetabulum, by converting flexion and extension into rotation. It allows, too, more room for the adductors, and gives mcreased power to the great rotators by throwing their inser cruciaij ligaments *0f the knee. r 2