ligament

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1. Anatomy. A sheet or band of tough, fibrous tissue connecting bones or cartilages at a joint or supporting an organ.
2. A unifying or connecting tie or bond.

[Middle English, from Medieval Latin ligāmentum, from Latin, bandage, from ligāre, to bind. See lien.]

A strong, flexible connective tissue band usually found between two bony prominences. Most ligaments are composed of dense fibrous tissue formed by parallel bundles of collagen fibers. They have a shining white appearance and are pliable, strong, and noncompliant. A second kind of ligament, composed either partly or almost entirely of yellow elastic fibers, is extensible or compliant, thereby allowing the connected bones to move apart. See also Connective tissue; Joint (anatomy).

From the Latin for a bond or tie. A sheet or band of tough, inelastic, fibrous connective tissue. Around joints, ligaments form a cuff or ‘capsule’, along with additional strengthening bands outside it (e.g. spanning the sides of the knee), or they link the ends of the bones inside a joint (e.g. the cruciate ligaments, joining the tibia and femur in the knee joint). The edges or ends of such ligaments are fused with the relevant bones. (Not to be confused with tendons, which extend skeletal muscles to their attachments.) Supports in other sites include the broad ligament for the uterus and Fallopian tubes, which attaches them to the pelvic wall, and the suspensory ligaments for a variety of organs (e.g. eyeball, breast, penis).

— Stuart Judge

See also connective tissue; joints.

noun

That which unites or binds: bond, knot, ligature, link, nexus, tie, vinculum, yoke. See connect.

Any tough, fibrous connective tissue band that connects bones or supports viscera. Some of the ligaments are distinct fibrous structures, others are folds of fascia or of indurated peritoneum; still others are the relics of unused fetal organs.

For more information on ligament, visit Britannica.com.

A band of tough fibrous tissue joining two bones together. Ligaments maybe capsular, extrinsic, or intrinsic. Capsular ligaments are thickenings within a fibrous joint capsule. Extrinsic ligaments run between bony joints, around the outside of a synovial cavity. Intrinsic ligaments occur within a synovial cavity and are generally less common than the other types. Ligaments are relatively non-elastic, but flexible enough to allow movement. Their main tasks are to bind bones together, to strengthen and stabilize joints (especially joints, such as the knee and shoulder, where the articulating bones do not fit very tightly together), and to limit joint movement to certain directions. If a ligament is ruptured or subjected to prolonged tensile stresses (e.g. through the performance of overenthusiastic flexibility exercises), joint stability may be reduced.

A kind of fibrous connective tissue that binds bones or cartilage together.

1. a band of fibrous tissue connecting bones or cartilages, serving to support and strengthen joints.
2. a double layer of peritoneum extending from one visceral organ to another.
3. cordlike remnants of fetal tubular structures that are nonfunctional after birth.
The injury suffered when a joint is wrenched with sufficient violence to stretch or tear the ligaments is called a sprain. For a complete list of named ligaments in the body, See also ligamentum.

• accessory l. — one that strengthens or supports another.
• l. arteriosum — fibrous remnant of the ductus arteriosus.
• broad l. — the peritoneal folds by which the uterus is suspended from the wall of the abdomen and pelvis.
• capsular l. — the fibrous layer of a joint capsule.
• cruciate l. — a pair of ligaments which cross over one another, as for example the cranial and caudal cruciate ligaments which tie the femur to the tibia.
• median l. of the bladder — a fold of peritoneum attaching the urinary bladder and urachus to the ventral abdominal wall.
• pectinate l. — a comb-like ligament at the iridocorneal angle.
• phrenicocardial l. — the continuation of the pericardial sac as a ligament attaching to the diaphragm; attaches to the sternum in species where the heart axis is less oblique.
• round l. of the bladder — remnants of the umbilical arteries and their mesenteries in the lateral ligaments of the urinary bladder.
• round l. of the liver — remnants of the umbilical veins found in the falciform ligament in young animals, and the adults of some species.
• round l. of the uterus — part of the gubernaculum of the female extending from the proper ligament of the ovary to the inguinal canal; in some species, e.g. dog, the ligament passes through the inguinal canal and is incriminated in the development of metrocele.
• scrotal l. — vestige of the gubernaculum testis of the fetus; connects the dartos surrounding the testicle to the vaginal tunic of the scrotum.
• l. splitting — a surgical procedure used in horses to stimulate vascularity of a diseased tendon. Through a single key-hole access incision, a series of fan-like incisions are made in the longitudinal axis of the tendon with a special knife.
• sutural l. — a band of fibrous tissue between the opposed bones of a suture or immovable joint.
• l. of the tail of the epididymis — a mesenchymal ligamentous caudal extension of the gubernaculum; a cord which binds the tail of the epididymis to the tunica vaginalis.

In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote three different types of structures:^[1]

1. Fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones. They are sometimes called "articular ligaments"^[2], "fibrous ligaments", or "true ligaments".
2. A fold of peritoneum or other membrane
3. The remnants of a tubular structure from the fetal period of life

The first meaning is most commonly what is meant by the term "ligament". After briefly discussing the other two types of ligaments, the remainder of this article will focus upon the first type.

The study of ligaments is known as desmology (from Greek δεσμός, desmos, "string"; and -λογία, -logia).

Contents 1 Peritoneal ligaments 2 Fetal remnant ligaments 3 Articular ligaments 3.1 Examples 3.1.1 Knee 3.1.2 Head and neck 3.1.3 Pelvis 3.1.4 Thorax 3.1.5 Wrist 3.1.6 See also 4 References 5 External links

Peritoneal ligaments

Certain folds of peritoneum are referred to as ligaments.

Examples include:

• The hepatoduodenal ligament, that surrounds the hepatic portal vein and other vessels as they travel from the duodenum to the liver.
• The broad ligament of the uterus, also a fold of peritoneum.
• The suspensory ligament of the ovary

Fetal remnant ligaments

Certain tubular structures from the fetal period are referred to as ligaments after they close up and turn into cord-like structures:

Fetal	Adult
ductus arteriosus	ligamentum arteriosum
extra-hepatic portion of the fetal left umbilical vein	ligamentum teres hepatis (the "round ligament of the liver").
intra-hepatic portion of the fetal left umbilical vein (the ductus venosus)	ligamentum venosum
distal portions of the fetal left and right umbilical arteries	medial umbilical ligaments

Articular ligaments

Diagrammatic section of a symphysis.

In its most common use, a ligament is a short band of tough fibrous dense regular connective tissue composed mainly of long, stringy collagen fibers. Ligaments connect bones to other bones to form a joint. (They do not connect muscles to bones; that is the function of tendons.) Some ligaments limit the mobility of articulations, or prevent certain movements altogether.

Capsular ligaments are part of the articular capsule that surrounds synovial joints. They act as mechanical reinforcements. Extra-capsular ligaments join bones together and provide joint stability.

Ligaments are only elastic; when under tension, they gradually lengthen. (Unlike tendons which are inelastic). This is one reason why dislocated joints must be set as quickly as possible: if the ligaments lengthen too much, then the joint will be weakened, becoming prone to future dislocations. Athletes, gymnasts, dancers, and martial artists perform stretching exercises to lengthen their ligaments, making their joints more supple. The term double-jointed refers to people who have more elastic ligaments, allowing their joints to stretch and contort further. The medical term for describing such double-jointed persons is hyperlaxity and double-jointed is a synonym of hyperlax.

The consequence of a broken ligament can be instability of the joint. Not all broken ligaments need surgery, but if surgery is needed to stabilise the joint, the broken ligament can be joined. Scar tissue may prevent this. If it is not possible to fix the broken ligament, other procedures such as the Brunelli Procedure can correct the instability. Instability of a joint can over time lead to wear of the cartilage and eventually to osteoarthritis.

Examples

Knee

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
• Lateral collateral ligament (LCL)
• Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)
• Medial collateral ligament (MCL)
• Cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) - quadruped equivalent of ACL
• Caudal cruciate ligament (CaCL) - quadruped equivalent of PCL

Head and neck

• Cricothyroid ligament
• Periodontal ligament
• Suspensory ligament of the lens

Pelvis

• Anterior sacroiliac ligament
• Posterior sacroiliac ligament
• Sacrotuberous ligament
• Sacrospinous ligament
• Inferior pubic ligament
• Superior pubic ligament
• Suspensory ligament of the penis

Thorax

• Suspensory ligament of the breast

Wrist

• Palmar radiocarpal ligament
• Dorsal radiocarpal ligament
• Ulnar collateral ligament
• Radial collateral ligament

See also

• Joint
• Brostrom procedure

References

1. ^ ligament at eMedicine Dictionary
2. ^ ligament at Dorland's Medical Dictionary

External links

Look up ligament in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Exhaustive list of ligaments

v • d • e Joints and ligaments of head and neck Craniocervical Atlanto-axial (lat + med) capsule · atlantoaxial ligaments (anterior, posterior) · cruciform ligament of atlas (transverse ligament of the atlas) Atlanto-occipital capsule · membranes (anterior atlantoöccipital membrane · posterior atlantoöccipital membrane · tectorial membrane) alar ligament · ligament of apex dentis Temporomandibular capsule · articular disk lateral (temporomandibular ligament) · medial (sphenomandibular ligament, stylomandibular ligament) Other Cricothyroid articulation · Cricoarytenoid articulation

v • d • e Joints and ligaments of upper limbs Shoulder Sternoclavicular Anterior sternoclavicular · Posterior sternoclavicular · Interclavicular · Costoclavicular Acromioclavicular Acromioclavicular · Coracoclavicular (trapezoid, conoid) · Coracoacromial · Superior transverse scapular · Inferior transverse of scapula Glenohumeral Coracohumeral · Glenohumeral (superior, middle, and inferior) · Transverse humeral · Glenoid labrum Elbow Humeroradial Radial collateral Humeroulnar Ulnar collateral Proximal radioulnar Annular · Oblique cord Forearm Distal radioulnar Volar radioulnar · Dorsal radioulnar Wrist/radiocarpal Palmar radiocarpal · Dorsal radiocarpal · Palmar ulnocarpal · Ulnar collateral · Radial collateral Hand Intercarpal, midcarpal Pisohamate · Scapholunate Carpometacarpal Dorsal carpometacarpal · Palmar carpometacarpal (pisometacarpal) Intermetacarpal Deep transverse metacarpal · Superficial transverse metacarpal Metacarpophalangeal Palmar · Collateral Interphalangeal Palmar · Collateral

v • d • e Joints and ligaments of torso Vertebral column articulations of vertebral bodies: anterior longitudinal ligament · posterior longitudinal ligament · intervertebral disc (annulus fibrosus, nucleus pulposus) articulations of vertebral arches : ligamenta flava · supraspinous ligament (nuchal ligament) · interspinal ligament · intertransverse ligament zygapophysial joint Costovertebral articulation of head of rib: radiate ligament · interarticular ligament costotransverse Sternocostal interarticular sternocostal ligament · radiate sternocostal ligaments · costoxiphoid ligaments interchondral, costochondral Pelvis articulation of the vertebral column with the pelvis: iliolumbar ligament sacroiliac: anterior sacroiliac ligament · posterior sacroiliac ligament · interosseous sacroiliac ligament ligaments connecting the sacrum and ischium: sacrotuberous ligament · sacrospinous ligament sacrococcygeal symphysis: anterior sacrococcygeal ligament · posterior sacrococcygeal ligament pubic symphysis: superior pubic ligament · inferior pubic ligament

v • d • e Joints and ligaments of lower limbs Coxal/hip femoral (iliofemoral, pubofemoral, ischiofemoral) · head of femur · transverse acetabular Knee-joint extracapsular: patellar · popliteal (oblique, arcuate) · collateral (medial/tibial, fibular/lateral) intracapsular: cruciate (anterior, posterior) · menisci (medial, lateral) · transverse Tibiofibular Superior tibiofibular anterior of the head of the fibula · posterior of the head of the fibula Inferior tibiofibular anterior of the lateral malleolus · posterior of the lateral malleolus Talocrural/ankle medial: medial of talocrural joint/deltoid (anterior tibiotalar, posterior tibiotalar, tibiocalcaneal, tibionavicular) lateral: lateral collateral of ankle joint (anterior talofibular, posterior talofibular, calcaneofibular) Foot Subtalar/talocalcaneal anterior/posterior · lateral/medial · interosseous Transverse tarsal Talocalcaneonavicular dorsal talonavicular · plantar calcaneonavicular/spring · bifurcated (calcaneonavicular) Calcaneocuboid dorsal calcaneocuboid · long plantar · plantar calcaneocuboid · bifurcated (calcaneocuboid) Distal intertarsal Cuneonavicular plantar · dorsal Cuboideonavicular plantar · dorsal Intercuneiform plantar · dorsal · interosseous Other Tarsometatarsal/Lisfranc plantar · dorsal Intermetatarsal/metatarsal plantar · dorsal · interosseous · superficial transverse · deep transverse Metatarsophalangeal plantar · collateral Interphalangeal plantar · collateral Arches Longitudinal · Transverse

v • d • e Peritoneal ligaments, mesenteries, and folds From ventral mesentery Lesser omentum: Hepatoduodenal ligament · Hepatogastric ligament Liver: Coronary ligament (Left triangular ligament, Right triangular ligament, Hepatorenal ligament) · Falciform ligament (Round ligament of liver and Ligamentum venosum in it, but not of it) From dorsal mesentery Greater omentum: Gastrophrenic ligament · Gastrocolic ligament · Gastrosplenic ligament Mesentery: Transverse mesocolon · Sigmoid mesocolon · Mesoappendix · Root of the mesentery Splenorenal ligament · Phrenicocolic ligament Uterus/ovaries Broad ligament of the uterus (Mesovarium, Mesosalpinx, Mesometrium) · Ovarian ligament · Suspensory ligament of the ovary Folds Umbilical folds (Supravesical fossa, Medial inguinal fossa, Lateral inguinal fossa) · Ileocecal fold · Rectouterine folds Recesses Rectouterine pouch · Vesicouterine excavation · Rectovesical excavation · Pararectal fossa · Paravesical fossa Peritoneal cavity Greater sac · Lesser sac · Foramen of Winslow

v • d • e Fetal vascular remnant ligaments Heart Ligamentum arteriosum Liver Round ligament of liver · Ligamentum venosum Umbilical Medial umbilical ligament (see also Median umbilical ligament and Lateral umbilical ligament)

v • d • e Joints Types fibrous: Gomphosis · Suture · Syndesmosis cartilaginous: Synchondrosis · Symphysis synovial: Plane joint · 1° (Hinge joint, Pivot joint) · 2° (Condyloid joint, Saddle joint) · 3° (Ball and socket joint) by range of motion: Synarthrosis · Amphiarthrosis · Diarthrosis Terminology Kinesiology · Anatomical terms of motion · Agonist/Antagonist Motions general: Flexion/Extension · Adduction/Abduction · Internal rotation/External rotation · Elevation/Depression specialized/upper limbs: Protraction/Retraction · Supination/Pronation specialized/lower limbs: Plantarflexion/Dorsiflexion · Eversion/Inversion Components Articular capsule (Synovial membrane, Fibrous membrane) · Synovial fluid · Bursa · Articular disk · Synovial sheath extracapsular: Ligament · Fascia/Aponeurosis/Tendon (Tendon sheath) · Enthesis

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - bånd, ledbånd

Nederlands (Dutch)
bindweefsel, gewrichtsband

Français (French)
n. - ligament

Deutsch (German)
n. - (Anat.) Band

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ανατ.) σύνδεσμος

Italiano (Italian)
legamento

Português (Portuguese)
n. - ligamento (m)

Русский (Russian)
связь, связка

Español (Spanish)
n. - ligamento

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - (anat.) ligament, (förenings)band

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
系带, 纽带, 韧带

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 繫帶, 紐帶, 韌帶

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 인대, 끈 , 유대

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 靭帯, きずな

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) رباط, رابطه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מיתר (המחבר עצמות)‬

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