falciform ligament

falciform ligament of liver

A ligament that attaches the liver to the anterior body wall. It is a broad and thin antero-posterior peritoneal fold, falciform in shape, its base being directed downward and backward and its apex upward and backward. It is a remnant of the ventral mesentery of the fetus. It is situated in an antero-posterior plane but lies obliquely, so that one surface faces forward and is in contact with the peritoneum behind the right rectus and the diaphragm, while the other is directed backward and is in contact with the left lobe of the liver. It is attached by its left margin to the under surface of the diaphragm and the posterior surface of the sheath of the right Rectus as low down as the umbilicus; by its right margin it extends from the notch on the anterior margin of the liver, as far back as the posterior surface. It is composed of two layers of peritoneum closely united together. Its base or free edge contains between its layers the round ligament and the paraumbilical veins[WP].

Type Vessel
Structure parente ligament of liver
Nom latin falciform ligament of liver
FMA ID 15823

Questions fréquentes

What is the falciform ligament?
The falciform ligament is a broad, thin fold of peritoneum that attaches the anterior surface of the liver to the anterior abdominal wall and diaphragm. Its name derives from its sickle-like (falciform) shape.
What is the embryological origin of the falciform ligament?
The falciform ligament is a remnant of the ventral mesentery of the foregut. During embryological development, the liver grows into the ventral mesentery, splitting it into the lesser omentum (hepatogastric ligament) and the falciform ligament.
What structure does the free edge of the falciform ligament contain?
The free (inferior) edge of the falciform ligament contains the ligamentum teres hepatis (round ligament of the liver), which is the obliterated remnant of the umbilical vein that carried oxygenated blood from the placenta to the fetal liver.
What is the clinical significance of the falciform ligament?
The falciform ligament and its contained ligamentum teres serve as landmarks in liver surgery. The ligamentum teres can be used to delineate the division between the left medial and lateral hepatic segments. In portal hypertension, the paraumbilical veins within the falciform ligament can become dilated (caput medusae).
How does the falciform ligament relate to the liver segments?
The falciform ligament attaches along the anterior surface of the liver roughly at the boundary between the left lateral and left medial segments (segments II/III and IV), providing a surgical landmark for segmental liver resection.

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Data sources: Terminologia Anatomica, Foundational Model of Anatomy, Wikidata.