Apical ligament of dens

Ligament of apex dentis
Median sagittal section through the occipital bone and first three cervical vertebrae (ligament of apex dentis labeled at center left as apical odontoid ligament)
Details
Identifiers
Latin	Ligamentum apicis dentis
TA	A03.2.04.003
FMA	71441
*Anatomical terminology* [edit on Wikidata]

The ligament of apex dentis (or apical odontoid ligament) is a ligament that spans between the second cervical vertebra in the neck and the skull. It lies as a fibrous cord in the triangular interval between the alar ligaments, which extends from the tip of the odontoid process on the axis to the anterior margin of the foramen magnum, being intimately blended with the deep portion of the anterior atlantooccipital membrane and superior crus of the transverse ligament of the atlas.

It is regarded as a rudimentary intervertebral fibrocartilage, and in it traces of the notochord may persist.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

Of vertebral bodies	anterior longitudinal ligament posterior longitudinal ligament

Of vertebral arches	ligamenta flava supraspinous ligament nuchal ligament interspinous ligament intertransverse ligament

Atlanto-axial	Medial: Cruciate ligament of atlas (Transverse ligament of atlas) Alar ligament Apical ligament of dens Tectorial membrane of atlanto-axial joint Lateral: no ligaments anterior atlantoaxial ligament posterior atlantoaxial ligament

Zygapophysial	no ligaments

Lumbosacral	iliolumbar ligament

Sacrococcygeal	anterior sacrococcygeal ligament posterior sacrococcygeal ligament

Head of rib	Radiate ligament Intra-articular ligament

Costotransverse	Costotransverse ligament Lumbocostal ligament

Syndesmoses of pelvic girdle	Obturator membrane Obturator canal

Pubic symphysis	superior pubic ligament inferior pubic ligament

Sacroiliac	anterior sacroiliac ligament posterior sacroiliac ligament interosseous sacroiliac ligament ligaments connecting the sacrum and ischium: sacrotuberous ligament sacrospinous ligament

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