Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Medial umbilical ligaments
Introduction
The medial umbilical ligament is a paired structure found in human anatomy. It is on the deep surface of the anterior abdominal wall, and is covered by the medial umbilical folds.
Origins
Origins
It represents the remnant of the fetal umbilical artery, which serves no purpose in humans after birth. In an adult it will be shrivelled.
Functions
Functions
It may be used as a landmark for surgeons exploring the medial inguinal fossa during laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Other than this, it has no purpose in an adult and it may be cut or damaged with impunity.
Relations
Relations
The supravesical fossa, and therefore a supravesical hernia, is medial to this structure. The medial inguinal fossa, and therefore a direct inguinal hernia, is lateral to it.
See also
See also
- median umbilical ligament (which is a different structure)
- lateral umbilical ligament
External links
External links
- Medial umbilical ligament
- Template:SUNYAnatomyFigs – “The inguinal canal and derivation of the layers of the spermatic cord.”
- Template:SUNYAnatomyImage
- Template:SUNYAnatomyImage
- Medial umbilical fold
- Template:SUNYAnatomyFigs – “Internal surface of the anterior abdominal wall.”
Additional images
Additional images
-
Dissection of side wall of pelvis showing sacral and pudendal plexuses. -
Inguinal fossae
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]