Ligaments of Spinal Column

The anterior longitudinal ligament is a straplike band that increases in width from above downward and extends from the anterior tubercle of the atlas to the sacrum. It is firmly attached to the anterior margins of the vertebral bodies and the intervertebral disks. The superficial fibers cross over several vertebrae, and the shorter, deeper fibers interconnect adjacent bodies and disks. The anterior longitudinal ligament is thicker in the thoracic region than in the other regions of the spinal column.

The posterior longitudinal ligament is broader above than below and lies within the vertebral canal behind the vertebral bodies. Its upper end is continuous with the tectorial membrane, and it extends from the axis to the sacrum. The edges of the ligament are serrated, especially in the lower thoracic and lumbar regions, because it spreads outward between its attachments to the borders of the vertebral bodies to blend with the annular fibers of the disks. It is separated from the posterior surfaces of the vertebral bodies by the basivertebral veins that join the anterior internal vertebral venous plexus.

The ligamenta flava, largely composed of yellow elastic tissue, join adjacent laminae. They extend from the anteroinferior aspect of the lamina above to the posterosuperior surface of the lamina below, and from the midline to the articular capsules laterally. Small gaps for the passage of veins from the internal to the external vertebral venous plexuses exist between them in the midline. The ligaments increase in thickness from the cervical to the lumbar region.

The supraspinal ligaments interconnect the tips of the spinous processes from the seventh cervical vertebra to the sacrum. They are continuous with the ligamentum nuchae above and with the interspinal ligaments in front and increase in thickness from above down. The interspinal ligaments are thin, membranous structures extending between the roots and apexes of the spines; they are best developed in the lumbar region.

Articular capsules surround the joints between adjacent articular processes. They are relatively lax in the cervical region.

The intertransverse ligaments connect adjoining transverse processes. They are often filamentous in the cervical and lumbar regions but form distinct cords in the thoracic region.

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