The ligamentum arteriosum (arterial ligament), also known as the Ligament of Botallo or Harvey's ligament, is a small ligament attaching the

aorta The aorta ( ) is the main and largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it splits into two smaller arteries (the common iliac arteries). The aorta distributes o ...

to the

pulmonary artery A pulmonary artery is an artery in the pulmonary circulation that carries deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. The largest pulmonary artery is the ''main pulmonary artery'' or ''pulmonary trunk'' from the heart, and ...

. It serves no function in adults but is the remnant of the

ductus arteriosus The ''ductus arteriosus'', also called the ''ductus Botalli'', named after the Italian physiologist Leonardo Botallo, is a blood vessel in the developing fetus connecting the trunk of the pulmonary artery to the proximal descending aorta. It a ...

formed within three weeks after

birth Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring, also referred to in technical contexts as parturition. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the f ...

Structure

At the superior end, the ligamentum attaches to the aorta—at the final part of the

aortic arch The aortic arch, arch of the aorta, or transverse aortic arch () is the part of the aorta between the ascending and descending aorta. The arch travels backward, so that it ultimately runs to the left of the trachea. Structure The aorta begins ...

(the isthmus of aorta) or the first part of the

descending aorta In human anatomy, the descending aorta is part of the aorta, the largest artery in the body. The descending aorta begins at the aortic arch and runs down through the chest and abdomen. The descending aorta anatomically consists of two portions o ...

. On the other, inferior end, the ligamentum is attached to the top of the left pulmonary artery. The ligamentum arteriosum is closely related to the left

recurrent laryngeal nerve The recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is a branch of the vagus nerve ( cranial nerve X) that supplies all the intrinsic muscles of the larynx, with the exception of the cricothyroid muscles. There are two recurrent laryngeal nerves, right and ...

, a branch of the left

vagus nerve The vagus nerve, also known as the tenth cranial nerve, cranial nerve X, or simply CN X, is a cranial nerve that interfaces with the parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. It comprises two nerves—the left and righ ...

. After splitting from the left vagus nerve, the left recurrent laryngeal loops around the aortic arch behind the ligamentum arteriosum, after which it ascends to the larynx.

Function

In adults, the ligamentum arteriosum has no useful function. It is a vestige of the

, a temporary fetal structure that shunts blood from the

pulmonary arteries A pulmonary artery is an artery in the pulmonary circulation that carries deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. The largest pulmonary artery is the ''main pulmonary artery'' or ''pulmonary trunk'' from the heart, and ...

to the

. This significantly reduces the volume of blood ciruclating through the

lungs The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side ...

, which are inactive in the

womb 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 ut ...

. The ductus arteriosus becomes the ligamentum arteriosum within three weeks of

, so that deoxygenated blood can be selectively circulated to the lungs for more efficient oxygenation of the blood.

Clinical significance

The ligamentum arteriosum plays a role in major trauma. It fixes the aorta in place during abrupt motions, consequently potentially resulting in a ruptured aorta. Such ruptures are very rare. If the ductus arteriosus fails to close after birth, a condition known as

patent ductus arteriosus ''Patent ductus arteriosus'' (PDA) is a medical condition in which the ''ductus arteriosus'' fails to close after birth: this allows a portion of oxygenated blood from the left heart to flow back to the lungs by flowing from the aorta, which has ...

can develop. This is a fairly common birth defect. Sufferers may have operations that leave them with no ligamentum arteriosum.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ligamentum Arteriosum Ligaments of the torso

Structure

Function

Clinical significance

See also

References

External links