| Medial arcuate ligament | |
|---|---|
 Thediaphragm. Under surface. (Med. arcuate ligament visible at bottom center left.) | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | ligamentum arcuatum mediale |
| TA98 | A04.4.02.006 |
| FMA | 58282 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Themedial arcuate ligament (alsomedial lumbocostal arch andinternal arcuate ligament) is a tendinous fascia that arches over thepsoas major muscle as it passes posterior thediaphragm. The purpose of the medial arcuate ligament is to attach the diaphragm to the spine (lumbar vertebra L1 - L2)
The medial arcuate ligament is an arch in the fascia covering the upper part of thepsoas major. It is attached to the side of the body of the first or secondlumbar vertebra, laterally, it is fixed to the front of the transverse process of the first and, sometimes also, to that of the second lumbar vertebra.
It lies between thelateral arcuate ligament and the midlinemedian arcuate ligament.
The sympathetic chain enters the abdomen by passing deep into this ligament of the diaphragm. This is in contrast to the parasympatheticvagus nerve which passes through theesophageal hiatus.
This article incorporates text in thepublic domain frompage 404 of the 20th edition ofGray's Anatomy(1918)
