[Bursa iliopectinea--size and morphology]

The size of the iliopsoas bursa is usually larger than its size described in textbooks of anatomy. Proximally the synovial bursa lies on the pectineal eminence of the superior pubic ramus, passes across the front of the capsule of the hip joint and extends distally downwards almost as far as to the lesser trochanter. Only the tendon of the psoas major muscle is normally an immediate relation to the bursa. In 13% of all cases the iliopsoas bursa is partly separated by a septum into 2 cavities. Here the tendon of the psoas major muscle passes over the medial chamber and the tendon of the iliac muscle runs over the lateral chamber. With regard to modern diagnostic techniques (computer tomography, magnetic resonance-tomography) the results are significant for the differential diagnosis of inflammatory processes in hip joints.