Anterior Longitudinal Ligament Flashcards
What is the classification of the anterior longitudinal ligament-vertebral body joint?
fibrous (amphiarthrosis) syndesmosis
What vertebral levels will the anterior longitudinal ligament attach to?
those between occiput and S3 inclusive
What are the specific bony attaching sites for the anterior longitudinal ligament?
- the basilar part of the occipital bone at the anterior margin of the foramen magnum
- the anterior tubercle of the anterior arch of atlas
- the anterior inferior epiphyseal rim of vertebral body of C2
- the anterior superior epiphyseal rim and anterior inferior epiphyseal rim of each vertebral body, C3-S2
- the anterior superior epiphyseal rim of S3 vertebral body
What will the anterior longitudinal ligament attach to in addition to vertebral bodies and occiput?
the intervertebral disc
What is the lowest extent of the anterior longitudinal ligament based on recent studies?
L3
What is believed to form the anterior longitudinal ligament in the lumbar spine?
the tendon of the crura of the diaphragm
What is the appearance of the anterior longitudinal ligament over the vertebral bodies?
it is hour-glass like with the wider margins at the epiphyseal rim and the narrow part over the vertebral body
What innervates the anterior longitudinal ligament?
the anterior neural plexus formed by fibers from the ventral primary ramus and sympathetic postganglionic fibers from the paravertebral ganglia
What is the function of the anterior longitudinal ligament?
it brakes or limits dorsi-flexion of hyperextension of the vertebral column
What was ossification of the anterior longitudinal ligament in the lumbar region identified as?
Forestier’s Disease
What is ossification of the anterior longitudinal ligament in the lumbar region now identified as?
Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis or DISH
What is hyperostosis?
a greater than necessary ossification of the bone at a site of ligament attachment
