Medial umbilical ligament

Medial umbilical ligament
The peritoneum of the male pelvis. (Medial umbilical ligament labeled at bottom left.)
Posterior view of the anterior abdominal wall in its lower half. The peritoneum is in place, and the various cords are shining through.
Details
Latin	Chorda arteriae umbilicalis, Ligamentum umbilicale mediale
Identifiers
Dorlands /Elsevier	l_09/12493508
TA
TH	{{#property:P1694}}
TE	{{#property:P1693}}
FMA	{{#property:P1402}}
Anatomical terminology [[[d:|edit on Wikidata]]]

The medial umbilical ligament (or cord of umbilical artery) is a paired structure found in human anatomy. It is on the deep surface of the anterior abdominal wall, and is covered by the medial umbilical folds (plicae umbilicales mediales). It should not be confused with the median umbilical ligament, a different structure that represents the remnant of the embryonic urachus.

Origins

It represents the remnant of the fetal umbilical arteries, which serves no purpose in humans after birth, except for the part that becomes the adult umbilical artery.

Functions

It may be used as a landmark for surgeons exploring the medial inguinal fossa during laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Other than this, it has no purpose in an adult and it may be cut or damaged with impunity.

Relations

The supravesical fossa, and therefore a supravesical hernia, is medial to this structure. The medial inguinal fossa, and therefore a direct inguinal hernia, is lateral to it.

See also

• median umbilical ligament (which is a different structure)
• lateral umbilical ligament

External links

• Medial umbilical ligament
  • Anatomy figure: 36:01-04 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "The inguinal canal and derivation of the layers of the spermatic cord."
  • Anatomy image:7323 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center
  • Anatomy image:7577 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center
• Medial umbilical fold
  • Anatomy figure: 36:03-10 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Internal surface of the anterior abdominal wall."

Additional images

• Gray829.png

  Dissection of side wall of pelvis showing sacral and pudendal plexuses.

• 

  Inguinal fossae