A retinaculum (: retinacula) is a band of thickened

deep fascia Deep fascia (or investing fascia) is a fascia, a layer of dense connective tissue that can surround individual muscles and groups of muscles to separate into fascial compartments. This fibrous connective tissue interpenetrates and surrounds the m ...

around

tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue, dense fibrous connective tissue that connects skeletal muscle, muscle to bone. It sends the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system, while withstanding tensi ...

s that holds them in place. It is not part of any

muscle Muscle is a soft tissue, one of the four basic types of animal tissue. There are three types of muscle tissue in vertebrates: skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscle. Muscle tissue gives skeletal muscles the ability to muscle contra ...

and primarily functions to stabilize tendons. The term retinaculum is

Neo-Latin Neo-LatinSidwell, Keith ''Classical Latin-Medieval Latin-Neo Latin'' in ; others, throughout. (also known as New Latin and Modern Latin) is the style of written Latin used in original literary, scholarly, and scientific works, first in Italy d ...

, derived from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

verb ''retinere'' (to retain). Specific retinacula include: * In the wrist: **

Flexor retinaculum of the hand The flexor retinaculum (transverse carpal ligament or anterior annular ligament) is a fibrous band on the palmar side of the hand near the wrist. It arches over the carpal bones of the hands, covering them and forming the carpal tunnel. Structur ...

Extensor retinaculum of the hand The extensor retinaculum (dorsal carpal ligament, or posterior annular ligament) is a thickened portion of the antebrachial fascia that holds the tendons of the extensor muscles in place. It is located on the back of the forearm, just proximal to ...

* In the ankle: ** Flexor retinaculum of foot **

Superior extensor retinaculum of foot The superior extensor retinaculum of the foot (transverse crural ligament) is the upper part of the extensor retinaculum of foot which extends from the ankle to the heelbone. The superior extensor retinaculum binds down the tendons of extenso ...

Inferior extensor retinaculum of foot The inferior extensor retinaculum of the foot (cruciate crural ligament, lower part of anterior annular ligament) is a Y-shaped band placed in front of the ankle-joint, the stem of the Y being attached laterally to the upper surface of the calca ...

** Superior fibular retinaculum ** Inferior fibular retinaculum * In the knee: ** Lateral retinaculum ** Medial patellar retinaculum

References

{{reflist Tendons