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 meso ...

that connects the sides of the

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The ...

to the walls and floor of the pelvis.

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 uret ...

(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 ute ...

(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 tissu ...

** round ligament of uterus ** suspensory ligament of the ovary (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 tube The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The uteru ...

s 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. See also * Mesometrium * Mesovarium The m ...

Function

The broad ligament serves as a mesentery 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 The epoophoron or epoöphoron (also called organ of RosenmüllerJ. C. Rosenmüller. De ovariis embryonum et foetuum humanorum. 1802. or the parovarium) is a remnant of the mesonephric tubules that can be found next to the ovary and fallopian tu ...

References

External links

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