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Spinal Anatomy 101 – Spinal Ligaments
Stanley Hoppenfeld, MD and
Michael S. Zeide, MD
illustrations by James Capizzuto, Orthopaedic Dictionary, 1994.)
The spine is one of the most
important components of the human architecture. It is composed
of bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and nerve structures.
The following represent many
of the important ligament structures found in the spine.
Ligament
A cord, band, or sheet of fibrous
connective tissue, linking two or more bones, cartilages, or
other structures together. A ligament imparts stability, usually
to a joint, preventing excessive motion in certain directions.
Tendon
A band of dense fibrous tissue
that forms the termination of a muscle and attaches it to a bone.
When the muscle contracts, it pulls on the tendon, which moves
the bone.
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Anterior Longitudinal Ligament
A broad ligament that extends
from the occipital bone to the sacrum. It supports the vertebral
column and unites the vertebral bodies anteriorly. |
Figure 1 |
Figure 2 |
Interspinous Ligament |
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Intertransverse Ligaments
Ligaments that connect adjacent
vertebral processes. |
Figure 3 |
Figure 4 |
Ligamentum Nuchae
The large, broad ligament at
the back of the neck, which extends from the edges of the external
occipital crest bilaterally to the tips of the spinous processes
of the cervical vertebrae. |
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Ligamentum Flavum |
Figure 5 |
Figure 6 |
Posterior Longitudinal Ligament
A ligament that runs on the posterior
surfaces of the vertebral bodies, extending from the axis down
through the entire length of the vertebral column, and fanning
out at the vertebral margins to reinforce the intervertebral
discs. |
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Radiate Ligament
Refers to a fan–shaped ligament
that connects the head of a rib with a vertebra and the associated
intervertebral disk. |
Figure 7 |
Figure 8 |
Supraspinous Ligament |
Credits
Material provided by Stanley Hoppenfeld,
MD and Michael S. Zeide, MD, illustrations by James Capizzuto,
Orthopaedic Dictionary, 1994.)
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