The iliac tubercle is a thick, rounded bump on the outer lip of the iliac crest, about 5 cm behind the anterior superior iliac spine. It is the widest point of the front part of the crest and gives attachment to the iliotibial tract. A line joining the two tubercles (the transtubercular plane) lies at the level of the L5 vertebral body.
| Articulations | |
|---|---|
| Landmarks |
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| Ossification | Part of the ilium, which begins ossifying in about the 9th fetal week. The overlying iliac crest apophysis appears in early adolescence and fuses in the late teens to mid twenties. |
The thick bone around the tubercle is a common site for anterior iliac crest bone graft harvest; surgeons start about 3 cm behind the ASIS to avoid fracturing the spine and injuring the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. The tubercle is exposed to direct blows in contact sport. The transtubercular plane is a standard horizontal plane for dividing the abdomen into regions.
Find the ASIS at the front of the hip, then follow the outer edge of the iliac crest backward and slightly upward for about three finger-breadths (about 5 cm). The thick, rounded knob on the outer lip is the iliac tubercle, and it feels like the widest point of the pelvis from the front.
A direct blow to the iliac crest bruises the bone and the muscles attached to it, causing intense local pain that worsens with trunk movement.
Persistent pain or numbness at the crest after bone has been harvested, sometimes from injury to nearby cutaneous nerves.
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