Iliac crest

Bone: Iliac crest
Pelvic girdle.
Overview of Ilium as largest bone of the pelvis.
Latin	crista iliaca
Gray's	subject #57 234
Dorlands / Elsevier	c_62/12266672

The crest of the ilium (or iliac crest) is convex in its general outline but is sinuously curved, being concave inward in front, concave outward behind.

Anatomy

It is thinner at the center than at the extremities, and ends in the anterior and posterior superior iliac spines.

The surface of the crest is broad, and divided into external and internal lips, and an intermediate line.

About 5 cm behind the anterior superior iliac spine there is a prominent tubercle on the outer lip.

To the external lip are attached the Tensor fasciæ latæ, Obliquus externus abdominis, and Latissimus dorsi, and along its whole length the fascia lata; to the intermediate line the Obliquus internus abdominis.

To the internal lip, the fascia iliaca, the Transversus abdominis, Quadratus lumborum, Sacrospinalis, and Iliacus.

Clinical significance

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.

Additional images

• Iliac crest.PNG

  Muscles connecting the upper extremity to the vertebral column. Left iliac crest is labeled in red.

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  Plan of ossification of the hip bone.

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  The Obliquus internus abdominis.

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  Muscles of the iliac and anterior femoral regions.

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  The relations of the kidneys from behind.

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  Iliac crest labeled at center right.

See also

• Apollo's belt
• Hip pointer

External links

• SUNY Figs 13:02-01 - "Superficial muscles of the gluteal region and posterior thigh."
• SUNY Labs 35:os-0104 - "Anterior Abdominal Wall: Osteology and Surface Anatomy "
• Atlas of anatomy at UMich back_bone30 - "The Back, Posterior View" (#4)
• Diagram at emedx.com
• Diagram at nih.gov
• Iliac crest bone grafting

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

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