Topics

Topic

design image
Fovea for ligament of head of femur

The fovea for the ligament of the head of the femur (fovea capitis femoris) is a small, oval depression located on the medial surface of the femoral head. It serves as the attachment site for the ligament of the head of the femur (ligamentum teres) and is a constant anatomical landmark in hip anatomy and imaging.

Although it does not contribute to the articular surface, the fovea is important for orientation in hip imaging, assessment of femoral head morphology, and evaluation of ligamentum teres attachment.

Synonyms

  • Fovea capitis femoris

  • Fovea capitis

Location

  • Located on the posteromedial aspect of the femoral head

  • Within the non-articular portion of the femoral head

  • Medial to the weight-bearing articular surface

  • Faces the acetabular notch and acetabular fossa

  • Deep to the acetabular labrum and transverse acetabular ligament

Anatomical components

  • Bony depression in the femoral head

  • Attachment site of the ligamentum teres

  • Non-articular hyaline cartilage–free zone

  • May contain a small fat pad and vascular channels

Relations

Superiorly:

  • Articular cartilage of the femoral head

Inferiorly:

  • Neck of the femur (via femoral head contour)

Medially:

  • Acetabular fossa

  • Pulvinar fat pad

Laterally:

  • Weight-bearing articular surface of the femoral head

Anteriorly:

  • Anterior joint capsule

Posteriorly:

  • Posterior joint capsule

Associated structures

  • Ligament of the head of the femur (ligamentum teres)

  • Transverse acetabular ligament

  • Pulvinar (acetabular fat pad)

  • Small vascular branches within the ligament (in children more prominent)

X-ray appearance

Plain radiographs (AP pelvis / hip views):

  • Fovea: Small, well-defined oval or round lucency on the medial aspect of the femoral head

  • Margins: Smooth and corticated

  • Position: Constant medial landmark for femoral head orientation

  • Articular surface: Surrounding cortex remains intact

CT appearance

Pre-contrast CT:

  • Fovea: Shallow cortical depression on the medial femoral head

  • Density: Corticated margins with central soft-tissue or fat density

  • Shape: Oval or round concavity

  • Relationship: Clearly separated from the articular surface

  • Femoral head contour: Preserved spherical outline

MRI appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Fovea: Low-signal cortical depression

  • Ligamentum teres: Low-to-intermediate signal structure inserting into the fovea

  • Adjacent marrow: High signal fatty marrow in the femoral head

T2-weighted images:

  • Fovea: Low-signal cortical margin

  • Ligamentum teres: Intermediate signal

  • Joint fluid: High signal outlining the foveal region

STIR:

  • Fovea: Low-signal bony margin

  • Ligament insertion: Intermediate signal

  • Surrounding marrow: Uniform low-to-intermediate signal without edema in normal state

MRI image

Fovea for ligament of head of femur mri anatomy Location and Imaging Appearance -img-00000-00000

CT image

Fovea for ligament of head of femur ct anatomy Location and Imaging Appearance -img-00000-00000

X Ray image

Fovea for ligament of head of femur