The anterior longitudinal ligament is a

ligament A ligament is a type of fibrous connective tissue in the body that connects bones to other bones. It also connects flight feathers to bones, in dinosaurs and birds. All 30,000 species of amniotes (land animals with internal bones) have liga ...

that extends across the anterior/ventral aspect of the vertebral bodies and

intervertebral disc An intervertebral disc (British English), also spelled intervertebral disk (American English), lies between adjacent vertebrae in the vertebral column. Each disc forms a fibrocartilaginous joint (a symphysis), to allow slight movement of the ver ...

s the

spine Spine or spinal may refer to: Science Biology * Spinal column, also known as the backbone * Dendritic spine, a small membranous protrusion from a neuron's dendrite * Thorns, spines, and prickles, needle-like structures in plants * Spine (zoology), ...

. It may be partially cut to treat certain abnormal curvatures in the

vertebral column The spinal column, also known as the vertebral column, spine or backbone, is the core part of the axial skeleton in vertebrates. The vertebral column is the defining and eponymous characteristic of the vertebrate. The spinal column is a segmente ...

, such as

kyphosis Kyphosis () is an abnormally excessive convex curvature of the Spinal column, spine as it occurs in the Thoracic spine, thoracic and sacrum, sacral regions. Abnormal inward concave ''lordotic'' curving of the Cervical spine, cervical and Lumba ...

Anatomy

The anterior longitudinal ligament extends superoinferiorly between the basiocciput of the skull and the anterior tubercle of the atlas (cervical vertebra C1) superiorly, and the superior part of the

sacrum The sacrum (: sacra or sacrums), in human anatomy, is a triangular bone at the base of the spine that forms by the fusing of the sacral vertebrae (S1S5) between ages 18 and 30. The sacrum situates at the upper, back part of the pelvic cavity, ...

inferiorly; inferiorly, it ends at the

sacral promontory The sacrum (: sacra or sacrums), in human anatomy, is a triangular bone at the base of the spine that forms by the fusing of the sacral vertebrae (S1S5) between ages 18 and 30. The sacrum situates at the upper, back part of the pelvic cavit ...

. It broadens inferiorly. Inferiorly, it becomes continuous with the

anterior sacrococcygeal ligament The anterior sacrococcygeal ligament or ventral sacrococcygeal ligament consists of a few irregular fibers, which descend from the anterior surface of the sacrum to the front of the coccyx, blending with the periosteum The periosteum is a membr ...

. Superiorly, between the skull and atlas, the ligament is continuous laterally with the anterior atlantooccipital membrane. The ligament is thick and slightly more narrow over the vertebral bodies and thinner but slightly wider over the

s. It tends to be narrower and thicker around thoracic vertebrae, and wider and thinner around cervical vertebrae and lumbar vertebrae.

Structure

The anterior longitudinal ligament adheres strongly to the periosteum of the vertebral bodies, but is less strongly connected with the intervertebral discs. It has three layers: superficial, intermediate and deep. The superficial layer traverses 3 – 4 vertebrae, the intermediate layer covers 2 – 3 and the deep layer is only between individual vertebrae.

Clinical significance

The anterior longitudinal ligament may become calcified, causing back

pain Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging Stimulus (physiology), stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sense, sensory and emotional experience associated with, or res ...

Surgical release

The anterior longitudinal ligament may be "released", or partially cut, between two adjacent vertebrae. This may be done to treat abnormal curvature in the

, such as

Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to more porous bone, and consequent increase in Bone fracture, fracture risk. It is the most common reason f ...

, some

infection An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...

s, and past back

surgery Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...

may prevent this surgery.

Additional images

File:Anatomy of the Neck Sagittal Color MRI.png, E:Anterior longitudinal ligament Image:Gray308.png, Median sagittal section through the occipital bone and first three cervical vertebræ. Image:Gray312.png, Costovertebral articulations. Anterior view.

References

External links

* - "Vertebral Column, Dissection, Anterior & Posterior Views" *
Diagram at spineuniverse.com
{{Authority control Ligaments of the torso Bones of the vertebral column Ligaments of the head and neck