Arcuate ligament
Arcuate Ligament
The arcuate ligament is a fibrous band of connective tissue found in the human body. It is part of the anatomy of the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity.
Structure[edit | edit source]
The arcuate ligament is composed of two parts: the median arcuate ligament and the lateral arcuate ligament.
The median arcuate ligament is a fibrous arch that connects the right and left crura of the diaphragm. It crosses over the aorta and forms the aortic hiatus, an opening in the diaphragm through which the aorta and thoracic duct pass.
The lateral arcuate ligament is a thickening of the fascia covering the upper part of the quadratus lumborum muscle. It arches over the psoas major muscle and attaches to the lumbar vertebrae and the 12th rib.
Clinical significance[edit | edit source]
In some cases, the median arcuate ligament can compress the celiac artery, a condition known as Median arcuate ligament syndrome. This can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, weight loss, and nausea. Diagnosis is typically made through imaging studies such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, and treatment often involves surgical release of the ligament.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD