Anterior longitudinal ligament

Anterior longitudinal ligament
Anterior longitudinal ligament
	Median sagittal section of two lumbar vertebræ and their ligaments. (Anterior longitudinal ligament runs vertically at center left.)
	Anterior atlantooccipital membrane and atlantoaxial ligament. (Anterior longitudinal ligament runs vertically at bottom center.)
Details
System	skeletal
From	inferior basilar portion ofoccipital bone
To	sacrum
Identifiers
Latin	ligamentum longitudinale anterius
TA98	A03.2.01.007
TA2	1679
FMA	31893
	Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

Theanterior longitudinal ligamentis aligamentthat extends across the anterior/ventral aspect of thevertebral bodiesandintervertebral discsthespine.

It may be partially cut to treat certain abnormal curvatures in thevertebral column,such askyphosis.

Anatomy

The anterior longitudinal ligament extends superoinferiorly between thebasiocciputof the skull and theanterior tubercleof theatlas (cervical certebra C1)superiorly, and the superior part of thesacruminferiorly;^[1]inferiorly, it ends at thesacral promontory.^[2]It broadens inferiorly.^[1]Inferiorly, it becomes continuous with theanterior sacrococcygeal ligament.^[3]Superiorly, between the skull and atlas, the ligament is continuous laterally with theanterior atlantooccipital membrane.^[4]

The ligament is thick and slightly more narrow over thevertebral bodiesand thinner but slightly wider over theintervertebral discs.^[5]

It tends to be narrower and thicker around thoracic vertebrae, and wider and thinner around cervical vertebrae and lumbar vertebrae.^[5]

Structure

The anterior longitudinal ligament adheres strongly to the periosteum of the vertebral bodies, but is less strongly connected with the intervertebral discs.^[1]

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]}

Clinical significance

The anterior longitudinal ligament may becomecalcified,causing backpain.^[6]

Surgical release

The anterior longitudinal ligament may be "released", or partially cut, between two adjacent vertebrae.^[7]This may be done to treat abnormal curvature in thevertebral column,such askyphosis.^[7]Osteoporosis,someinfections,and past backsurgerymay prevent this surgery.^[7]

Additional images

E:Anterior longitudinal ligament
Median sagittal section through the occipital bone and first three cervical vertebræ.
Costovertebral articulations. Anterior view.

References

^^a ^b ^cSinnatamby C (2011).Last's Anatomy(12th ed.). p. 424.ISBN 978-0-7295-3752-0.
^Kadasne, D. K. (2009).Kadasne's Textbook of Anatomy(1st ed.). New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers. p. 371.ISBN 978-81-8448-455-7.OCLC 682534511.
^"anterior sacrococcygeal ligament".TheFreeDictionary.com.Retrieved2023-06-08.
^Moore, Keith L.; Dalley, Arthur F.; Agur, Anne M. R. (2018).Clinically Oriented Anatomy(8th ed.). Wolters Kluwer. p. 99.ISBN 978-1-4963-4721-3.
^^a ^bKayalioglu, Gulgun (2009). "3 - The Vertebral Column and Spinal Meninges".The spinal cord: a Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation text and atlas(1st ed.).Amsterdam:Elsevier/Academic Press.pp. 17–36.doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-374247-6.50007-9.ISBN 978-0-08-092138-9.OCLC 500570905.
^Giles, Lynton G. F. (2009). "Case 92 - Post-traumatic anterior longitudinal ligament calcification".100 challenging spinal pain syndrome cases(2nd ed.).Edinburgh:Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone.pp. 425–427.doi:10.1016/B978-0-443-06716-7.00092-X.ISBN 978-0-7020-4271-3.OCLC 460883276.
^^a ^b ^cSardar, Zeeshan M.; Baron, Eli M.; Davis, Timothy; Anand, Neel (2018). "Procedure 41 - The Transpsoas Approach for Thoracolumbar Interbody Fusion".Operative Techniques: Spine surgery(3rd ed.).Philadelphia:Elsevier.pp. 358–370.doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-40066-4.00041-2.ISBN 978-0-323-48391-9.OCLC 964627490.

External links

Atlas image: back_bone25at the University of Michigan Health System - "Vertebral Column, Dissection, Anterior & Posterior Views"
lesson7at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)
Diagram at spineuniverse.com

[:02-1] Sinnatamby C (2011).Last's Anatomy(12th ed.). p. 424.ISBN 978-0-7295-3752-0.

[2] Kadasne, D. K. (2009).Kadasne's Textbook of Anatomy(1st ed.). New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers. p. 371.ISBN 978-81-8448-455-7.OCLC 682534511.

[3] "anterior sacrococcygeal ligament".TheFreeDictionary.com.Retrieved2023-06-08.

[:03-4] Moore, Keith L.; Dalley, Arthur F.; Agur, Anne M. R. (2018).Clinically Oriented Anatomy(8th ed.). Wolters Kluwer. p. 99.ISBN 978-1-4963-4721-3.

[:1-5] Kayalioglu, Gulgun (2009). "3 - The Vertebral Column and Spinal Meninges".The spinal cord: a Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation text and atlas(1st ed.).Amsterdam:Elsevier/Academic Press.pp. 17–36.doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-374247-6.50007-9.ISBN 978-0-08-092138-9.OCLC 500570905.

[6] Giles, Lynton G. F. (2009). "Case 92 - Post-traumatic anterior longitudinal ligament calcification".100 challenging spinal pain syndrome cases(2nd ed.).Edinburgh:Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone.pp. 425–427.doi:10.1016/B978-0-443-06716-7.00092-X.ISBN 978-0-7020-4271-3.OCLC 460883276.

[:0-7] Sardar, Zeeshan M.; Baron, Eli M.; Davis, Timothy; Anand, Neel (2018). "Procedure 41 - The Transpsoas Approach for Thoracolumbar Interbody Fusion".Operative Techniques: Spine surgery(3rd ed.).Philadelphia:Elsevier.pp. 358–370.doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-40066-4.00041-2.ISBN 978-0-323-48391-9.OCLC 964627490.

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