Palpation of the Ligaments

Together with the capsule, the ligaments complete the joint, limit movements, and thus provide the necessary stability for everyday life. They lie close to the joint and span the joint space. This anatomical knowledge is elementary for palpatory detection of the ligamentous structures. The typical firm-elastic palpation sensation often occurs when the joint, during palpation, is moved in the direction in which the ligament is placed under movement-limiting tension. This chapter covers palpable ligaments of the human body and precisely describes the procedure to locate the respective structure. The anatomical illustrations are used to determine the position and thus the exact location.