Anterior longitudinal ligament
{{Short description|Ligament running down the front of the vertebral column}}
{{Infobox ligament
| Name = Anterior longitudinal ligament
| Latin = ligamentum longitudinale anterius
| Image = Gray301.png
| Caption = Median sagittal section of two lumbar vertebræ and their ligaments. (Anterior longitudinal ligament runs vertically at center left.)
| Image2 = Gray304.png
| Caption2 = Anterior atlantooccipital membrane and atlantoaxial ligament. (Anterior longitudinal ligament runs vertically at bottom center.)
| From = inferior basilar portion of occipital bone
| To = sacrum
|System=skeletal}}
The anterior longitudinal ligament is a ligament that extends across the anterior/ventral aspect of the vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs the spine.
It may be partially cut to treat certain abnormal curvatures in the vertebral column, such as kyphosis.
Anatomy
The anterior longitudinal ligament extends superoinferiorly between the basiocciput of the skull and the anterior tubercle of the atlas (cervical certebra C1) superiorly, and the superior part of the sacrum inferiorly;{{Cite book |title=Last's Anatomy |vauthors=Sinnatamby C |publisher= |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-7295-3752-0 |edition=12th |pages=424}} inferiorly, it ends at the sacral promontory.{{Cite book |last=Kadasne |first=D. K. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/682534511 |title=Kadasne's Textbook of Anatomy |date=2009 |publisher=Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers |isbn=978-81-8448-455-7 |edition=1st |location=New Delhi |pages=371 |oclc=682534511}} It broadens inferiorly. Inferiorly, it becomes continuous with the anterior sacrococcygeal ligament.{{Cite web |title=anterior sacrococcygeal ligament |url=https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/anterior+sacrococcygeal+ligament |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=TheFreeDictionary.com}} Superiorly, between the skull and atlas, the ligament is continuous laterally with the anterior atlantooccipital membrane.{{Cite book |last=Moore |first=Keith L. |title=Clinically Oriented Anatomy |last2=Dalley |first2=Arthur F. |last3=Agur |first3=Anne M. R. |date= |publisher=Wolters Kluwer |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-4963-4721-3 |edition=8th |location= |pages=99}}
The ligament is thick and slightly more narrow over the vertebral bodies and thinner but slightly wider over the intervertebral discs.{{Cite book |last=Kayalioglu |first=Gulgun |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/500570905 |title=The spinal cord : a Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation text and atlas |publisher=Elsevier / Academic Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-08-092138-9 |edition=1st |location=Amsterdam |pages=17 - 36 |language=en |chapter=3 - The Vertebral Column and Spinal Meninges |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-374247-6.50007-9 |oclc=500570905}}
It tends to be narrower and thicker around thoracic vertebrae, and wider and thinner around cervical vertebrae and lumbar vertebrae.
= Structure =
The anterior longitudinal ligament adheres strongly to the periosteum of the vertebral bodies, but is less strongly connected with the intervertebral discs.
It has three layers: superficial, intermediate and deep. The superficial layer traverses 3 – 4 vertebrae, the intermediate layer covers 2 – 3 and the deep layer is only between individual vertebrae.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}
Clinical significance
The anterior longitudinal ligament may become calcified, causing back pain.{{Cite book|last=Giles|first=Lynton G. F.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/460883276|title=100 challenging spinal pain syndrome cases|publisher=Elsevier / Churchill Livingstone|year=2009|isbn=978-0-7020-4271-3|edition=2nd|location=Edinburgh|pages=425 - 427|language=en|chapter=Case 92 - Post-traumatic anterior longitudinal ligament calcification|doi=10.1016/B978-0-443-06716-7.00092-X|oclc=460883276}}
= Surgical release =
The anterior longitudinal ligament may be "released", or partially cut, between two adjacent vertebrae.{{Cite book|last=Sardar|first=Zeeshan M.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/964627490|title=Operative Techniques: Spine surgery|last2=Baron|first2=Eli M.|last3=Davis|first3=Timothy|last4=Anand|first4=Neel|publisher=Elsevier|year=2018|isbn=978-0-323-48391-9|edition=3rd|location=Philadelphia|pages=358 - 370|chapter=Procedure 41 - The Transpsoas Approach for Thoracolumbar Interbody Fusion|doi=10.1016/B978-0-323-40066-4.00041-2|oclc=964627490}} This may be done to treat abnormal curvature in the vertebral column, such as kyphosis. Osteoporosis, some infections, and past back surgery may prevent this surgery.
Additional images
File:Anatomy of the Neck Sagittal Color MRI.png|E:Anterior longitudinal ligament
Image:Gray308.png|Median sagittal section through the occipital bone and first three cervical vertebræ.
Image:Gray312.png|Costovertebral articulations. Anterior view.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{UMichAtlas|back_bone25}} - "Vertebral Column, Dissection, Anterior & Posterior Views"
- {{NormanAnatomy|lesson7}}
- [http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1268.html Diagram at spineuniverse.com]
{{Joints of torso}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Ligaments of the torso