The interspinous ligaments (interspinal ligaments) are thin and membranous ligaments, that connect adjoining

spinous processes The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates,Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristic i ...

of the

vertebra The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates, Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristi ...

in the spine. They extend from the root to the apex of each spinous process. They meet the

ligamenta flava The ligamenta flava (singular, ''ligamentum flavum'', Latin for ''yellow ligament'') are a series of ligaments that connect the ventral parts of the laminae of adjacent vertebrae. They help to preserve upright posture, preventing hyperflexion, a ...

in front and blend with the supraspinous ligament behind. The ligaments are narrow and elongated in the thoracic region, broader, thicker, and quadrilateral in form in the

lumbar region In tetrapod anatomy, lumbar is an adjective that means ''of or pertaining to the abdominal segment of the torso, between the diaphragm and the sacrum.'' The lumbar region is sometimes referred to as the lower spine, or as an area of the back ...

, and only slightly developed in the neck. In the neck they are often considered part of the

nuchal ligament The nuchal ligament is a ligament at the back of the neck that is continuous with the supraspinous ligament. Structure The nuchal ligament extends from the external occipital protuberance on the skull and median nuchal line to the spinous proc ...

. The function of the interspinous ligaments is to limit

flexion Motion, the process of movement, is described using specific anatomical terms. Motion includes movement of organs, joints, limbs, and specific sections of the body. The terminology used describes this motion according to its direction relativ ...

of the spine.

References

External links

Interspinous ligaments on AnatomyExpert.com

Interspinous ligament
- BlueLink Anatomy - University of Michigan Medical School Ligaments of the torso Bones of the vertebral column {{ligament-stub