Iliac crest

{{Short description|Top border of the hip}}

{{About||the novel|The Iliac Crest}}

{{Infobox bone

| Name = Iliac crest

| Latin = crista iliaca

| Image = Pelvic girdle illustration.svg

| Caption = Pelvic girdle.

| Image2 = pelvis_diagram.png

| Caption2 = Overview of Ilium as largest bone of the pelvis

}}

The crest of the ilium (or iliac crest) is the superior border of the wing of ilium and the superolateral margin of the greater pelvis.

Structure

The iliac crest stretches posteriorly from the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) to the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS). Behind the ASIS, it divides into an outer and inner lip separated by the intermediate zone. The outer lip bulges laterally into the iliac tubercle.Platzer (2004), p 186

Palpable in its entire length, the crest is convex superiorly but is sinuously curved, being concave inward in front, concave outward behind.Palastanga (2006), p 243

It is thinner at the center than at the extremities.

=Development=

The iliac crest is derived from endochondral bone.

Function

Clinical significance

File:IliacCrestFrac.png

The iliac crest has a large amount of red bone marrow, and thus it is the site of bone marrow harvests (from both sides) to collect the stem cells used in bone marrow transplantation. The iliac crest is also considered the best donor site for bone grafting when a large quantity of bone is needed. For example, oral and maxillofacial surgeons will often use iliac crest bone to fill in large osseous defects of the oral cavity caused by severe periodontal disease, excess bone resorption following tooth loss, trauma, or congenital defects including alveolar clefts.Rose, Louis F.. Periodontics: Medicine, Surgery and Implants. Mosby, 072004. 26.2.2.3

The top of the iliac crests also marks the level of the fourth lumbar vertebral body (L4), above or below which lumbar puncture may be performed. Furthermore, said level is often referred to as the "intercristal line".

Additional images

File:Iliac crest.PNG|Muscles connecting the upper extremity to the vertebral column. Left iliac crest is labeled in red.

File:Gray237.png|Plan of ossification of the hip bone

File:Gray395.png|The Obliquus internus abdominis

File:Gray430.png|Muscles of the iliac and anterior femoral regions

File:Gray1124.png|The relations of the kidneys from behind

File:Orientation.PNG|Iliac crest labeled at center right

File:Slide7w.JPG|Iliac crest

See also

{{Anatomy-terms}}

References

{{Gray's}}

{{Reflist}}

  • {{cite book

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=UYC_NpoFfAsC&pg=PA106

| title = Clinical anatomy of the lumbar spine and sacrum

| first1 = Nikolai | last1 = Bogduk | first2 = Stephen M. | last2 = Endres

| edition = 4th | publisher = Elsevier Health Sciences | year = 2005

| isbn = 0-443-10119-1 | page = 106

}}

  • {{cite book

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=rRtPExr9Hz8C&pg=PA334

| title = Anatomy and Human Movement: Structure and Function

| first = Nigel | last = Palastanga |author2=Field, Derek |author3=Soames, Roger

| publisher = Elsevier Health Sciences | year = 2006

| isbn = 0-7506-8814-9

}}

  • {{cite book

| first = Werner | last = Platzer

| title = Color Atlas of Human Anatomy, Vol. 1: Locomotor System

| publisher = Thieme | isbn = 3-13-533305-1

| year = 2004 | edition = 5th

}}