Dance Anatomy & Kinesiology

162 Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology

their spiral arrangement, all three ligaments and

the capsule become tight with hip extension or pos-

terior tilting of the pelvis, important for providing

stability with upright standing (Smith, Weiss, and

Lehmkuhl, 1996). Full extension during weight

bearing can be considered the close-packed posi-

tion for the hip joint (Hamill and Knutzen, 1995)

in terms of ligamental stability, despite there being

greater bony congruence at 90° of hip flexion with

slight abduction and external rotation (such as with

sitting in a chair). Conversely, all three ligaments

become slack with hip flexion, allowing the dancer

to have greater range of motion when the hip is not

extended. Some additional information about these

ligaments follows.

The Iliofemoral Ligament

The iliofemoral ligament is located on the front of

the hip joint, spiraling inferiorly from the anterior

inferior iliac spine of the pelvis to diverge into two

bands that attach to the upper and lower portions

of the intertrochanteric line, as seen in figure 4.4A.

The iliofemoral ligament is sometimes called the

“Y” ligament because its appearance resembles an

inverted “Y.” This ligament is one of the strongest

ligaments in the body and plays a very important

role in standing posture. In erect stance, the center

of gravity generally passes behind the center of

rotation of the hip joint and so tends to extend the

joint. Because the iliofemoral ligament becomes

taut with hip extension, this ligament can passively

allow stance to be maintained and prevents the trunk

from falling backward or the head of the femur from

displacing anteriorly with little hip muscular activity

required.

As well as its postural role, the iliofemoral liga-

ment also serves as a powerful constraint for any

movement that involves bringing the leg behind the

body such as in a tendu back or an arabesque. Most

anatomy texts hold that the iliofemoral ligament

limits hip hyperextension to 10° to 20° in the average

individual, but many dancers apparently markedly

stretch this ligament and the capsule in order to

obtain a range of hyperextension as great as 40°. The

lateral fibers of the iliofemoral ligament also limit

hip external rotation and hip adduction. Due to this

restraint to external rotation, some dancers adopt the

undesired tactic of anteriorly tilting the pelvis when

trying to achieve greater turnout at the hip.

The Pubofemoral Ligament

The pubofemoral ligament is located on the anterior

and lower portion of the capsule as seen in figure

4.4A. It runs between the pubic bone and an area

near the lesser trochanter. Its inferior location makes

it particularly effective for limiting hip abduction. It

also assists the iliofemoral ligament in limiting hip

extension and external rotation.

The Ischiofemoral Ligament

The ischiofemoral ligament is located on the poste-

rior side of the hip joint as seen in figure 4.4B and

provides protection from posterior displacement of

the femur. It spans between a portion of the ischium

FIGURE 4.3 Movements of the hip joint. (A) Flexion-extension, (B) abduction-adduction, (C) external rotation-internal

rotation.