The medial umbilical ligament (or cord of umbilical artery, or obliterated umbilical artery) is a paired structure found in human

anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...

. It is on the deep surface of the anterior

abdominal wall In anatomy, the abdominal wall represents the boundaries of the abdominal cavity. The abdominal wall is split into the anterolateral and posterior walls. There is a common set of layers covering and forming all the walls: the deepest being the v ...

, and is covered by the medial umbilical folds (''plicae umbilicales mediales''). It is different from the

median umbilical ligament In human anatomy, the median umbilical ligament is an unpaired midline ligamentous structure upon the lower inner surface of the anterior abdominal wall. It is covered by the median umbilical fold. The median umbilical ligament represents the re ...

, a structure that represents the remnant of the embryonic

urachus The urachus is a fibrous remnant of the allantois, a canal that drains the urinary bladder of the fetus that joins and runs within the umbilical cord. The fibrous remnant lies in the space of Retzius, between the transverse fascia anteriorly and t ...

Origins

It represents the remnant of the

umbilical arteries The umbilical artery is a paired artery (with one for each half of the body) that is found in the abdominal and pelvic regions. In the fetus, it extends into the umbilical cord. Structure Development The umbilical arteries supply deoxygenated bl ...

, which serves no purpose in humans after birth, except for the initial part that becomes the adult superior vesical artery. The occluded part of umbilical artery becomes the medial umbilical ligament postnatal. The medial umbilical ligament arises from the anterior division of the

internal iliac artery The internal iliac artery (formerly known as the hypogastric artery) is the main artery of the pelvis. Structure The internal iliac artery supplies the walls and viscera of the pelvis, the buttock, the reproductive organs, and the medial compart ...

Functions

It may be used as a landmark for surgeons performing laparoscopic procedures to help identify and avoid damaging the inferior epigastric arteries during port placement. Other than this, it has no purpose in an adult and it may be cut or damaged with impunity

Relations

The supravesical fossa, and therefore a supravesical hernia, is medial to this structure. The

medial inguinal fossa The medial inguinal fossa is a depression located within the inguinal triangle on the peritoneal surface of the anterior abdominal wall between the ridges formed by the lateral umbilical fold and the medial umbilical ligament, corresponding to the ...

, and therefore a

direct inguinal hernia An inguinal hernia is a hernia (protrusion) of abdominal-cavity contents through the inguinal canal. Symptoms, which may include pain or discomfort especially with or following coughing, exercise, or bowel movements, are absent in about a third ...

, is lateral to it.

External links

* Medial umbilical ligament ** - "The inguinal canal and derivation of the layers of the spermatic cord." ** ** * Medial umbilical fold ** - "Internal surface of the anterior abdominal wall."

Additional images

File:Gray829.png, Dissection of side wall of pelvis showing sacral and pudendal plexuses. File:Inguinal fossae.PNG, Inguinal fossae {{Authority control Abdomen Ligaments

Origins

Functions

Relations

See also

External links

Additional images