The sacrospinous ligament (small or anterior sacrosciatic ligament) is a thin, triangular
ligament
A ligament is the fibrous connective tissue that connects bones to other bones. It is also known as ''articular ligament'', ''articular larua'', ''fibrous ligament'', or ''true ligament''. Other ligaments in the body include the:
* Peritoneal l ...
in the
human pelvis
The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton).
The ...
. The base of the ligament is attached to the outer edge of the
sacrum
The sacrum (plural: ''sacra'' or ''sacrums''), in human anatomy, is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine that forms by the fusing of the sacral vertebrae (S1S5) between ages 18 and 30.
The sacrum situates at the upper, back part o ...
and
coccyx
The coccyx ( : coccyges or coccyxes), commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column in all apes, and analogous structures in certain other mammals such as horses. In tailless primates (e.g. humans and othe ...
, and the tip of the ligament attaches to the
spine of the ischium, a bony protuberance on the
human pelvis
The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton).
The ...
. Its fibres are intermingled with the
sacrotuberous ligament
The sacrotuberous ligament (great or posterior sacrosciatic ligament) is situated at the lower and back part of the pelvis. It is flat, and triangular in form; narrower in the middle than at the ends.
Structure
It runs from the sacrum (the lowe ...
.
Structure
The
sacrotuberous ligament
The sacrotuberous ligament (great or posterior sacrosciatic ligament) is situated at the lower and back part of the pelvis. It is flat, and triangular in form; narrower in the middle than at the ends.
Structure
It runs from the sacrum (the lowe ...
passes behind the sacrospinous ligament. In its entire length, the sacrospinous ligament covers the equally triangular
coccygeus muscle, to which its closely connected.
[Gray's Anatomy 1918]
Function
The presence of the ligament in the
greater sciatic notch creates an opening (
), the
greater sciatic foramen
The greater sciatic foramen is an opening (foramen) in the posterior human pelvis. It is formed by the sacrotuberous and sacrospinous ligaments. The piriformis muscle passes through the foramen and occupies most of its volume. The greater sci ...
, and also converts the
lesser sciatic notch into the
lesser sciatic foramen.
[Platzer (2004), p 188] The greater sciatic foramen lies above the ligament, and the
lesser sciatic foramen lies below it.
The
pudendal vessels and
nerve
A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons) in the peripheral nervous system.
A nerve transmits electrical impulses. It is the basic unit of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the ...
pass behind the sacrospinous ligament directly medially and inferiorly to the ischial spine. The
inferior gluteal artery
The inferior gluteal artery (sciatic artery), the smaller of the two terminal branches of the anterior trunk of the internal iliac artery, is distributed chiefly to the buttock and back of the thigh.
It passes down on the sacral plexus of nerves ...
, from a branch of the
internal iliac artery
The internal iliac artery (formerly known as the hypogastric artery) is the main artery of the pelvis.
Structure
The internal iliac artery supplies the walls and viscera of the pelvis, the buttock, the reproductive organs, and the medial comp ...
, pass behind the
sciatic nerve
The sciatic nerve, also called the ischiadic nerve, is a large nerve in humans and other vertebrate animals which is the largest branch of the sacral plexus and runs alongside the hip joint and down the lower limb. It is the longest and widest ...
and the sacrospinous ligament and is left uncovered in a small opening above the top of the sacrospinous ligament. The coccygeal branch of the inferior gluteal artery passes behind the mid-portion of the sacrospinous ligament and pierces the sacrotuberous ligament at multiple locations. The main body of the inferior gluteal artery leaves the pelvis posteriorly to the upper border of the sacrospinous ligament, to follow the inferior portion of the sciatic nerve out of the greater sciatic foramen.
[Thompson ''et al.'' (1999)]
The main function of the ligament is to prevent rotation of the
ilium past the
sacrum
The sacrum (plural: ''sacra'' or ''sacrums''), in human anatomy, is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine that forms by the fusing of the sacral vertebrae (S1S5) between ages 18 and 30.
The sacrum situates at the upper, back part o ...
. Laxity of this ligament and the sacrotuberous ligament allows this rotation to occur. Stresses to these ligaments occur most often when leaning forward or getting out of a chair.
Clinical significance
Vaginal prolapse or
uterine prolapse
Uterine prolapse is when the uterus descends towards or through the opening of the vagina. Symptoms may include vaginal fullness, pain with sex, trouble urinating, urinary incontinence, and constipation. Often it gets worse over time. Low back ...
may occur in women when other pelvic ligaments and supportive structures are weakened. One treatment is sacrospinous fixation. In this surgery, the apex of the
vagina
In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...
is sutured to the sacrospinous ligament, which may offer a sturdier support than weakened pelvic ligaments, ideally preventing further
prolapse
In medicine, prolapse is a condition in which organs fall down or slip out of place. It is used for organs protruding through the vagina, rectum, or for the misalignment of the valves of the heart. A spinal disc herniation is also sometimes ca ...
.
[Vasavada ''et al.'' (2004), p 661]
Additional images
File:Gray1243.png , Nélaton’s line and Bryant’s triangle.
File:Gray320.png, Articulations of pelvis. Posterior view.
Notes
References
*
* (ISBN for the Americas 1-58890-159-9.)
*
External links
* - "Posterior view of the bones and ligaments of the hip joint."
Johns Hopkins
{{Authority control
Ligaments of the torso