PURPOSE: The calcar femorale (femoral calcar) is used in the English literature to designate the thickened medial cortex of the femoral neck. This term is, however, incorrect, as the calcar femorale is actually quite another structure. METHODS: Searching was performed in original and historic publication. RESULTS: The importance of the thickened medial cortex of the proximal femur in femoral neck fractures was discussed already by Robert Adams in 1834-1836. Therefore, the German surgeon C.W. Streubel, in 1847, called it Adamscher Knochenbogen (Adams' arch). Due to misspelling, this term was gradually changed to Adambogen, and at the turn of twentieth century, it was commonly used primarily in the German literature. Then, it fell into oblivion and its "renaissance" came as late as during the 1960s, again in the German literature, in connection with operative treatment of trochanteric fractures. CONCLUSIONS: However, under the influence of the English literature, it has been replaced by the term calcar femorale (femoral calcar), used ever since. The term Adams' arch should be reserved for the thickened medial cortex of the proximal femur, while the term calcar femorale (femoral calcar) should be used for the vertical plate arising from the medial cortex close below the lesser trochanter.

• Keywords
• Adams’ arch, Anatomy, Calcar femorale, History, Structure of proximal femur,
• MeSH
• Lower Extremity MeSH
• Femur * diagnostic imaging   surgery   MeSH
• Bone Plates MeSH
• Femur Neck * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

"Syndesmologia siue historia ligamentorum corporis humani", published in 1742 by a German anatomist Josias Weitbrecht (1702-1747), who for a long time lived and worked in St. Petersburg, is the first comprehensive textbook of syndesmology. The accuracy and quality of the accompanying illustrations are fascinating, even after almost 300 years. Weitbrecht was also the first to describe the synovial folds of the hip joint, later named after him as the retinacula of Weitbrecht. This eponym appeared in the first half of the nineteenth century in the studies of femoral neck fractures published in the UK. In the study of syndesmology, Weitbrecht was followed by a number of outstanding authors of that time, such as Meckel, Barkow, Arnold, Henle, Humphry and Fick.

• Keywords
• Arthrology, Retinacula of Weitbrecht, Syndesmology, Synovial folds of the hip, Weitbrecht,
• MeSH
• Anatomy history   MeSH
• Anatomists history   MeSH
• History, 18th Century MeSH
• History, 19th Century MeSH
• Joint Capsule anatomy & histology   MeSH
• Hip Joint anatomy & histology   MeSH
• Medical Illustration history   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Ligaments anatomy & histology   MeSH
• Textbooks as Topic history   MeSH
• Check Tag
• History, 18th Century MeSH
• History, 19th Century MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Biography MeSH
• Journal Article MeSH
• Historical Article MeSH
• Review MeSH

• About
• Weitbrecht, Josias