The ligamentum arteriosum (arterial ligament), also known as Botallo's ligament, Harvey's ligament, and Botallo's duct, is a small

ligament A ligament is a type of fibrous connective tissue in the body that connects bones to other bones. It also connects flight feathers to bones, in dinosaurs and birds. All 30,000 species of amniotes (land animals with internal bones) have liga ...

attaching the

aorta The aorta ( ; : aortas or aortae) is the main and largest artery in the human body, originating from the Ventricle (heart), left ventricle of the heart, branching upwards immediately after, and extending down to the abdomen, where it splits at ...

to the

pulmonary artery A pulmonary artery is an artery in the pulmonary circulation that carries deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. The largest pulmonary artery is the ''main pulmonary artery'' or ''pulmonary trunk'' from the heart, and ...

. It serves no function in adults but is the remnant of the

ductus arteriosus The ductus arteriosus, also called the ductus Botalli, named after the Italian physiologist Leonardo Botallo, is a blood vessel in the developing fetus connecting the trunk of the pulmonary artery to the proximal descending aorta. It allows mos ...

formed within three weeks after

birth Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring, also referred to in technical contexts as parturition. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the f ...

Structure

At the superior end, the ligamentum attaches to the aorta—at the final part of the aortic arch (the isthmus of aorta) or the first part of the descending aorta. On the other, inferior end, the ligamentum is attached to the top of the left pulmonary artery. The ligamentum arteriosum is closely related to the left

recurrent laryngeal nerve The recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), also known as nervus recurrens, is a branch of the vagus nerve ( cranial nerve X) that supplies all the intrinsic muscles of the larynx, with the exception of the cricothyroid muscles. There are two recur ...

, a branch of the left

vagus nerve The vagus nerve, also known as the tenth cranial nerve (CN X), plays a crucial role in the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating involuntary functions within the human body. This nerve carries both sensory and motor fibe ...

. After splitting from the left vagus nerve, the left recurrent laryngeal loops around the aortic arch behind the ligamentum arteriosum, after which it ascends to the larynx.

Function

In adults, the ligamentum arteriosum has no useful function. It is a vestige of the

, a temporary fetal structure that shunts blood from the

pulmonary arteries A pulmonary artery is an artery in the pulmonary circulation that carries deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. The largest pulmonary artery is the ''main pulmonary artery'' or ''pulmonary trunk'' from the heart, and ...

to the

. This significantly reduces the volume of blood circulating through the

lungs The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart. Their function in the respiratory syste ...

, which are inactive in the womb. The ductus arteriosus becomes the ligamentum arteriosum within three weeks of

, so that deoxygenated blood can be selectively circulated to the lungs for more efficient oxygenation of the blood.

Clinical significance

The ligamentum arteriosum plays a role in

major trauma Major trauma is any injury that has the potential to cause prolonged disability or death. There are many causes of major trauma, blunt and penetrating, including falls, motor vehicle collisions, stabbing wounds, and gunshot wounds. Dependi ...

. It fixes the aorta in place during abrupt motions, consequently potentially resulting in a ruptured aorta. Such ruptures are very rare. If the ductus arteriosus fails to close after birth, a condition known as

patent ductus arteriosus Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a medical condition in which the ''ductus arteriosus'' fails to close after childbirth, birth: this allows a portion of oxygenated blood from the left heart to flow back to the lungs from the aorta, which has a h ...

can develop. This is a fairly common birth defect. Sufferers may have operations that leave them with no ligamentum arteriosum.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ligamentum Arteriosum Ligaments of the torso

Structure

Function

Clinical significance

See also

References

External links