Fovea for ligament of head of femur

Muhammad A. Javaid

The fovea for ligament of head of femur is a roughened pit-like depression located below and lateral to the central region of the femoral head. It serves as the attachment point for the ligament of the head of the femur (a.k.a. ligamentum teres). The basal end of this ligament is affixed to the margins of the acetabular notch.

The ligament of the head of the femur acts as a conduit for arterial branches originating from the posterior division of the obturator artery and the ascending cervical branch of the medial circumflex femoral artery. These arterial branches (a.k.a. medial epiphyseal arteries) traverse through the acetabular notch and accompany the ligamentum teres in order to supply the medial portion of the femoral head.

References

Standring, S. and Gray, H. (2016). ‘Chapter 80: Pelvic girdle, gluteal region and thigh’ in Gray’s anatomy The anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. (41st ed.) New York: Elsevier, pp. 1352-1353 & 1378-1379.
Gold, M., Munjal, A. and Varacallo, M. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Hip Joint. [Updated 2022 Jul 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470555/