The splenocolic ligament is a
peritoneal ligament Peritoneal ligaments are folds of peritoneum that are used to connect viscera to viscera or the abdominal wall.
There are multiple named ligaments that usually are named in accordance with what they are.
* Gastrocolic ligament, connects the stomac ...
connecting the
splenic capsule to the
transverse colon
In human anatomy, the transverse colon is the longest and most movable part of the colon.
Anatomical position
It crosses the abdomen from the ascending colon at the right colic flexure (hepatic flexure) with a downward convexity to the descend ...
.
[Wood et al. 2010, p. 611] Made of
visceral 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 mesothe ...
, it lies between the greater omentum and the transverse mesocolon. It has three attached borders, superiorly to the spleen, inferiorly to splenic flexure of transverse colon and posteriorly to the pancreaticocolic ligament, which itself is attached posteriorly to the left kidney, and a free anterior one
Of clinical relevance, one cause of exercise-induced pain in one's left side (a
side stitch A side stitch is an intense stabbing abdominal pain under the lower edge of the ribcage that occurs during exercise. It is also called a side ache, side cramp, muscle stitch, or simply stitch, and the medical term is exercise-related transient abdom ...
) is stretching of this ligament and the peritoneum when the spleen swells from exertion.
[Ross 2006, p. 218]
Footnotes
References
* Wood WC, Moore S, Staley C, Skandalakis JE (2010). ''Anatomic Basis of Tumor Surgery''. Second edition. Berlin: Springer Science & Business Media.
* Ross LM (2006). ''Atlas of Anatomy: Neck and Internal Organs''. First edition. Wemding: Georg Thieme Verlag.
Ligaments
{{ligament-stub