The crest of the ilium (or iliac crest) is the superior border of the

wing of ilium The wing (ala) of ilium is the large expanded portion of the ilium (bone), ilium, the bone which bounds the greater pelvis laterally. It presents for examination two surfaces—an external and an internal—a crest, and two borders—an anterior ...

and the superolateral margin of the

greater pelvis The pelvic cavity is a body cavity that is bounded by the bones of the pelvis. Its oblique roof is the pelvic inlet (the superior opening of the pelvis). Its lower boundary is the pelvic floor. The pelvic cavity primarily contains the reproduc ...

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 {{Short pages monitor *

Abdominal external oblique muscle The abdominal external oblique muscle (also external oblique muscle or exterior oblique) is the largest and outermost of the three flat Abdomen#Muscles, abdominal muscles of the lateral anterior abdomen. Structure The external oblique is situat ...

Abdominal internal oblique muscle The abdominal internal oblique muscle, also internal oblique muscle or interior oblique, is an abdominal muscle in the abdominal wall that lies below the external oblique muscle and just above the transverse abdominal muscle. Structure Its fib ...

* ''Transversus abdominis'' muscle * Quadratus lumborum muscle * Erector spinae **

Iliocostalis Iliocostalis muscle is the muscle immediately lateral to the longissimus that is the nearest to the furrow that separates the epaxial muscles from the hypaxial. It lies very deep to the fleshy portion of the serratus posterior muscle. It late ...

pars lumborum ** Longissimus pars thoracisBogduk (2005), p 106 *

Latissimus dorsi The latissimus dorsi () is a large, flat muscle on the back that stretches to the sides, behind the arm, and is partly covered by the trapezius on the back near the midline. The word latissimus dorsi (plural: ''latissimi dorsi'') comes from L ...

* Tensor fasciae latae * Iliacus muscle * Fascia lata *

Iliac fascia The iliac fascia (or Abernethy's fascia) is the fascia overlying the iliacus muscle. Superiorly and laterally, the iliac fascia is attached to the inner aspect of the iliac crest; inferiorly and laterally, it extends into the thigh to unite with ...

Transverse fascia The transversalis fascia (or transverse fascia) is the fascial lining of the anterolateral abdominal wall situated between the inner surface of the transverse abdominal muscle, and the preperitoneal fascia. It is directly continuous with the ilia ...

Clinical significance

The iliac crest has a large amount of red

bone marrow Bone marrow is a semi-solid biological tissue, tissue found within the Spongy bone, spongy (also known as cancellous) portions of bones. In birds and mammals, bone marrow is the primary site of new blood cell production (or haematopoiesis). It i ...

, and thus it is the site of bone marrow harvests (from both sides) to collect the

stem cells In multicellular organisms, stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can change into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell. They are the earliest type of cell ...

used in

bone marrow transplantation Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is the transplantation of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells, usually derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood, in order to replicate inside a patient and produce a ...

. 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

References

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External links

* - "The Back, Posterior View" (#4) {{Authority control Human anatomy Bones of the pelvis Ilium (bone)

Structure

Clinical significance

Additional images

See also

References

External links