The suspensory ligament of the ovary, also infundibulopelvic ligament (commonly abbreviated IP ligament or simply IP), is a 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 extends out from the ovary to the wall of the pelvis. Some sources consider it a part of the broad ligament of uterus while other sources just consider it a "termination" of the ligament. It is not considered a true ligament in that it does not physically support any anatomical structures; however it is an important landmark and it houses the ovarian vessels. The suspensory ligament is directed upward over the iliac vessels.

Structure

It contains the ovarian artery,

ovarian vein The ovarian vein, the female gonadal vein, carries deoxygenated blood from its corresponding ovary to inferior vena cava or one of its tributaries. It is the female equivalent of the testicular vein, and is the venous counterpart of the ovarian ...

, ovarian nerve plexus,suspensory+ligament+of+ovary
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Dictionary and

lymphatic vessel The lymphatic vessels (or lymph vessels or lymphatics) are thin-walled vessels (tubes), structured like blood vessels, that carry lymph. As part of the lymphatic system, lymph vessels are complementary to the cardiovascular system. Lymph ve ...

Composition

The suspensory ligament of the ovary is one continuous tissue that connects the ovary to the wall of the pelvis. There are separate names for the two regions of this tissue. * In the anterior region, the suspensory ligament is attached to the wall of the pelvis via a continuous tissue called peritoneum. * In the more posterior region, the suspensory ligament is attached to the upper pole of ovary and infundibulum of fallopian tube via a continuous tissue called the broad ligament. In sum, the suspensory ligament consists of a single connective tissue that has different regional notations, the peritoneum and the broad ligament.

Peritoneal relationship

Most of the abdominal cavity is lined by a double-membranous sac called

. The interior is called the peritoneal cavity, this is the location of all 'intra-peritoneal' organs (disambiguation: retro-peritoneal organs ). The most inferior extent of the peritoneum covers the

pelvic inlet The pelvic inlet or superior aperture of the pelvis is a planar surface which defines the boundary between the pelvic cavity and the abdominal cavity (or, according to some authors, between two parts of the pelvic cavity, called lesser pelvis an ...

; in females, this region of the peritoneum is referred to as the 'broad ligament'.

Development

The suspensory ligament originates from the

mesonephros The mesonephros ( el, middle kidney) is one of three excretory organs that develop in vertebrates. It serves as the main excretory organ of aquatic vertebrates and as a temporary kidney in reptiles, birds, and mammals. The mesonephros is included ...

, which, in turn, originates from intermediate mesoderm. The prenatal development of the suspensory ligament of the ovary is a part of the

development of the reproductive system The development of the reproductive system is the part of embryonic growth that results in the sex organs and contributes to sexual differentiation. Due to its large overlap with development of the urinary system, the two systems are typically ...

References

External links