The round ligament of the uterus is a

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 ...

that connects the

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', : uteri or uteruses) or womb () is the hollow organ, organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans, that accommodates the embryonic development, embryonic and prenatal development, f ...

to the

labia majora In primates, and specifically in humans, the labia majora (: labium majus), also known as the outer lips or outer labia, are two prominent Anatomical terms of location, longitudinal skin folds that extend downward and backward from the mons pubis ...

. It originates at the junction of the uterus and uterine tube. It passes through the inguinal canal to insert at the labium majus. The two round ligaments of uterus develop from the gubernaculum; they are the female homologue of the male gubernaculum testis.

Structure

The round ligament of the uterus originates at the

uterine horns The uterine horns (cornua of uterus) are the points in the upper uterus where the fallopian tubes or oviducts exit to meet the ovaries. They are one of the points of attachment for the round ligament of uterus (the other being the mons pubis). T ...

, in the parametrium. The round ligament exits the

pelvis The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an Anatomy, anatomical Trunk (anatomy), trunk, between the human abdomen, abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also c ...

via the deep inguinal ring. It passes through the inguinal canal to reach the labium majus, inserting into the fibro-fatty substance of the labium majus.

Blood supply

The round ligament is supplied by the artery of the round ligament of uterus, also known as ''Sampson's artery''.

Development

The round ligament develops from the gubernaculum which attaches the

gonad A gonad, sex gland, or reproductive gland is a Heterocrine gland, mixed gland and sex organ that produces the gametes and sex hormones of an organism. Female reproductive cells are egg cells, and male reproductive cells are sperm. The male gon ...

to the labioscrotal swellings in the

embryo An embryo ( ) is the initial stage of development for a multicellular organism. In organisms that reproduce sexually, embryonic development is the part of the life cycle that begins just after fertilization of the female egg cell by the male sp ...

Function

The round ligament of uterus acts to hold the uterus anterior-ward to in anteflexion and anteversion, especially by counteracting any posterior-ward forces that may be being exerted upon the uterus (e.g. distended bladder, or gravity while in a recumbent position).

Pregnancy

The round ligament maintains anteversion of the uterus during pregnancy. Normally, the cardinal ligament is what supports the uterine angle (angle of anteversion). When the uterus grows during

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring gestation, gestates inside a woman's uterus. A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Conception (biology), Conception usually occurs ...

, the round ligaments can stretch causing pain.

Additional images

File:Gray589.png, Vessels of the uterus and its appendages, rear view File:Gray1165.png, Female pelvis and its contents, seen from above and in front File:Round ligaments of uterus.jpg, Round ligament of uterus File:Slide3DDD.JPG, Round ligament of uterus

References

External links

* (, ) {{DEFAULTSORT:Round Ligament Of Uterus Mammal female reproductive system