Comparative Morphometry of Coxal Joint Angles

Abstract

The angles related to the coxal joints were comparatively studied in four-limbed walking animals and two-limbed ones including man and birds. Between animals with both types of walking, no significant difference was observed in the neck-shaft angles (NSA), which was equivalent to the acetabulum angles (ACA) at the connection of the femoral head with the acetabulum. The anteversion angles (AVA) were equivalent to the horizontal ACA. Canine species showed two different forms of the femoral neck with or without modification by the femoral AVA, probably being breed-specific and nutrition-dependent. In the narrow-striped wallaby as well as avian species, the femoral head showed a postversion with a minus-version angle for lifting the body axis in the frontal and upward direction to hold the whole body weight on the hind-limbs, in particular at the anterior part of the acetabulum. In man, the connection between the femur and acetabulum greatly varied among individuals, possibly according to differences in the life style.