Look up trochlea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Trochlea (Latin for pulley) is a term in anatomy. It refers to a grooved structure reminiscent of a pulley's wheel.
Related to joints
Most commonly, trochleae bear the articular surface of saddle and other joints:
- Trochlea of humerus (part of the elbow hinge joint with the ulna)
- Trochlea of femur (forming the knee hinge joint with the patella)
- The trochlea tali in the superior surface of the body of talus (part of the ankle hinge joint with the tibia)
- Trochlear process of the calcaneus
- In quadrupeds, the trochlea of Radius (bone)
- The "knuckles" of the tarsometatarsus which articulate with the proximal phalanges in a bird's foot
Related to muscles
It also can refer to structures which serve as a guide for muscles:
- Trochlea of superior oblique (see also superior oblique muscle), a mover of the eye which is supplied by the trochlear nerve, or fourth cranial nerve