The broad ligament of the uterus is the wide fold of

peritoneum The peritoneum is the serous membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity or coelom in amniotes and some invertebrates, such as annelids. It covers most of the intra-abdominal (or coelomic) organs, and is composed of a layer of mesotheli ...

that connects the sides of the

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', : uteri or uteruses) or womb () is the hollow organ, organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans, that accommodates the embryonic development, embryonic and prenatal development, f ...

to the walls and floor of the

pelvis The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an Anatomy, anatomical Trunk (anatomy), trunk, between the human abdomen, abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also c ...

Structure

Subdivisions

The contents of the broad ligament include the following: * Reproductive ** uterine tubes (or fallopian tube) ** ovary (some sources consider the ovary to be on the broad ligament, but not in it.) * vessels **

ovarian artery The ovarian artery is an artery that supplies oxygenated blood to the ovary in females. It arises from the abdominal aorta below the renal artery. It can be found within the suspensory ligament of the ovary, anterior to the ovarian vein and urete ...

(in the suspensory ligament) **

uterine artery The uterine artery is an artery that supplies blood to the uterus in females. Structure The uterine artery usually arises from the anterior division of the internal iliac artery. It travels to the uterus, crossing the ureter anteriorly, to the ut ...

(in reality, travels in the cardinal ligament) * ligaments **

ovarian ligament The ovarian ligament (also called the utero-ovarian ligament or proper ovarian ligament) is a fibrous ligament that connects the ovary to the lateral surface of the uterus. Structure The ovarian ligament is composed of muscular and fibrous tissue ...

round ligament of uterus The round ligament of the uterus is a ligament that connects the uterus to the labia majora. It originates at the junction of the uterus and uterine tube. It passes through the inguinal canal to insert at the labium majus. The two round ligame ...

suspensory ligament of the ovary The suspensory ligament of the ovary, also infundibulopelvic ligament (commonly abbreviated IP ligament or simply IP), is a fold of peritoneum that extends out from the ovary to the wall of the pelvis. Some sources consider it a part of the broad ...

(Some sources consider it a part of the broad ligament, while other sources just consider it a "termination" of the ligament.)

Relations

The

surrounds the

like a flat sheet that folds over its fundus, covering it anteriorly and posteriorly; on the sides of the uterus, this sheet of peritoneum comes in direct contact with itself, forming the double layer of peritoneum known as the broad ligament of the uterus. The part where this peritoneal sheet is folded (i.e. the free edge) has the uterine tubes running between the two layers; this part is known as the

mesosalpinx The mesosalpinx is part of the lining of the abdominal cavity in higher vertebrates, specifically the portion of the broad ligament that stretches from the ovary to the level of the fallopian tube The fallopian tubes, also known as uterine ...

Function

The broad ligament serves as a

mesentery In human anatomy, the mesentery is an Organ (anatomy), organ that attaches the intestines to the posterior abdominal wall, consisting of a double fold of the peritoneum. It helps (among other functions) in storing Adipose tissue, fat and allowi ...

for the uterus, ovaries, and the uterine tubes. It helps in maintaining the uterus in its position, but it is not a major contributing factor.

Clinical significance

Broad ligament hernias are rare. Due to their vague clinical presentation they are difficult to distinguish from other types of internal hernias, which can cause small bowel obstruction.

Additional images

File:Gray1108.png, Broad ligament of adult, showing epoöphoron

References

External links

* * * - Mammal, female overview (Gross, Medium)"
Diagram at med.mun.ca
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Broad Ligament Of The Uterus Ligaments Mammal female reproductive system