Dance Anatomy & Kinesiology

180 Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology

with an increased angle of inclination there is a ten-

dency for the shaft of the femur to run more vertical

or even slightly outward and to produce a bow-legged

alignment termed genu varum (see chapter 5), in

which the knees are placed lateral to the feet during

standing in anatomical position.

Angle of Femoral Torsion

The angle of femoral torsion is the angle of the head

and neck of the femur relative to the shaft of the

femur and the femoral condyles when viewed from

above as seen in figure 4.17. Due to this angle, when

one is standing erect with the knees facing directly

forward, the center of the head of the femur is not

located in the same frontal plane as the tip of the

greater trochanter, but rather slightly anterior to the

trochanter. In other words, if you place your fingertips

on your greater trochanter, the neck of the femur will

be angling slightly forward, placing the center of the

head of the femur slightly in front of the trochanter.

This angle is marked in the newborn, averaging about

35° to 40°, but it decreases with age to an average

of approximately 8° to 15° (Bauman, Singson, and

Hamilton, 1994; Rasch, 1989). This angle can influ-

ence the extent of turnout allowed at the hip and so

is important for the dancer to understand.

Femoral Anteversion

An abnormal increase in the angle of femoral torsion

is termed femoral anteversion (turning forward).

Excessive femoral anteversion results in greater

FIGURE 4.16 Angle of femoral inclination (top row: left hip, anterior view). (A) Coxa vara, (B) normal, (C) coxa valga.

FIGURE 4.17 Angle of femoral torsion (left hip,

superior view).