Ligaments function to limit joint motion
- Certain motions elongate certain ligaments.
- When they elongate, ligaments develop force.
- The force resists further lengthening of the ligament, and resists or limits further joint motion.
| 
|
|---|
For example, the iliofemoral ligament covers the anterior surface of the hip joint.
Hip extension (the hip movement produced by a posterior pelvic tilt) elongates the iliofemoral ligament, causing it to develop force, much like a very stiff rubber band. The vectors depict the ligament's passive force, whose direction resists further hip extension.
| |