Lateral arcuate ligament
Thoracic cavity muscle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The lateral arcuate ligament (also lateral lumbocostal arch and external arcuate ligament) is a ligament under the diaphragm that arches across the upper part of the quadratus lumborum muscle. It is traversed by the subcostal nerve, artery and vein.
| Lateral arcuate ligament | |
|---|---|
The diaphragm. Under surface. (Lat. arcuate ligament visible at bottom left.) | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | ligamentum arcuatum laterale |
| TA98 | A04.4.02.007 |
| FMA | 58283 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Structure
The lateral arcuate ligament runs from the front of the transverse process of the first lumbar vertebra, and, laterally, to the tip and lower margin of the twelfth rib.[1] It forms an arch over the quadratus lumborum muscle.[1]
Variations
The lateral arcuate ligament is commonly described in anatomy textbooks as attaching at the first lumbar vertebra (L1).[2] However, other instances have been found in cadaver studies with attachments at either the second (L2) or third (L3) lumbar vertebra.[2]
In around 5% of people, inferolateral extensions of the lateral arcuate ligaments, such as thickened nodular areas, are found adjacent to the lateral diaphragmatic surface which can be visualized with computed tomography (CT) scans.[3]
