The Acetabular Notch Of The Hip Bone In Lateral View

Description

Rotating through a lateral view of the os coxae, the animation centers on the acetabulum and its inferior interruption, the acetabular notch, where the lunate surface and acetabular fossa meet at the rim. As the camera settles, the anterior and posterior horns of the acetabular articular surface flank the notch, while the acetabular labrum is implied along the margin and the transverse acetabular ligament is positioned to bridge the gap. Superiorly, the ilium contributes the broader acetabular dome; posteriorly and inferiorly, the ischium forms the posteroinferior wall; anteriorly, the pubis completes the anteroinferior acetabular segment. Spatial relationships are kept explicit: the notch lies inferior to the acetabular roof and lateral to the pelvic cavity. Inferior rim anatomy is where hip stability becomes tangible. The transverse acetabular ligament converts the notch into a foramen-like passage that protects the acetabular branch of the obturator artery and helps define the pathway for the ligament of the head of the femur (ligamentum teres) toward the fovea capitis, a point that matters in pediatric hip vascularity and in arthroscopic assessment of ligamentum teres tears. Motion in the sequence clarifies the three-dimensional contour of the inferior rim and why instrumentation that drifts too inferiorly during acetabular reaming or rim trimming risks iatrogenic injury to the notch-bridging soft tissues. Small structure, high consequence. Use this animation in pelvic girdle and hip joint modules for anatomy, orthopedics, or sports medicine, and as a figure supplement for chapters on acetabular morphology, labral pathology, and hip arthroscopy portals where inferior rim orientation can be hard to teach from static lateral plates. It also suits preoperative patient education when explaining labral repair versus rim correction. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.