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Anterior longitudinal ligament
Other Terms:
Ligamentum longitudinale anterius,
Ligament longitudinal antérieur
Parts
None
Group
Vertebral ligaments
Description
A strong band of variable thickness and width that spans the entire length of the mobile vertebral column, from the basioccipital bone to the anterior aspect of the sacral promontory. From superficial to deep its ligamentous fibers span varying lengths -- the deepest fibers are short intersegmental fibers, the intermediate fibers span two to three vertebrae, and the superficial fibers span three to four vertebrae. It is thick, yet narrow, over the vertebral bodies where it is loosely bound to the periosteum. At the levels of the intervertebral disc, it widens and the fibers strongly bind to the fibrocartilage disc, the hyaline cartilage vertebral end plates, and the margins of the vertebrae.
Function
Limit extension of the vertebral column and reinforce the intervertebral disc.
Latin
Ligamentum longitudinale anterius
French
Ligament longitudinal antérieur
