Inguinal Ligament
Description
Names
- Inguinal Ligament
- Ligamentum inguinale
- Arcus inguinalis
- Pouparts’s ligament
- Fallopian ligament
History
- Named after Frenhch surgeon Francois Poupart[2]
- He described the inguinal ligament in the "Histoire de l’Académie Royale des Sciences de Paris" in 1705
- However actually described 150 years earlier by Gabriele Falloppio, an Italian anatomist (1523-1562)
General
- Fibrous band of connective tissue that extends from ASIS to pubic tubercle
- Formed by the inferior border of the external oblique muscle
- Forms the superior boundary of the femoral triangle
- Contributes to the floor of the inguinal canal
- Denotes the transition from the pelvis to the lower limb
Attachments
- Origin: anterior superior iliac spine of the ilium
- Insertion: pubic tubercle of the pubis
- Lacunar Ligament: extends from the medial end of the inguinal ligament to the pecten pubis on the superior ramus
- Coopers Ligament: extension of lacunar ligament to the pectien pubis, and pelvic brim
Function
- Anchor the aponeurosis of the external oblique muscle
- Protects important structures as they pass from the pelvic cavity into the thigh and inguinal canal
- Forms the base of the femoral triangle
- Floor of the inguinal canal
Anatomic Relationships
- Crosses anterior to
- Iliopsoas
- Pectineus
- Femoral Nerve
- Lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh
- Inguinal lymph nodes
- Point where external iliac artery becomes the femoral artery
- Point where femoral vein becomes the external iliac vein
- Slit like passage which connects abdominal cavity to structures of the groin
- Medial half of inguinal ligament forms floor of the canal
- Both ends have an opening which allows entry and exit of structures
- (See inguinal canal page for more information)
Clinical Significance
- Inguinal Hernia
- Femoral Hernia
- Needs to be updated
See Also
- Physical Exam Hip
- Hip Pain Main
- Hip Anatomy Main
- Groin Pain Main
- Physical Exam Groin
- Groin Anatomy Main