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Learn more about "Ligament"

Ligament

In anatomy, the term '''ligament''' is used to denote three different types of structures:
- Fibrous Tissue (biology)|tissue that connects bones to other bones. They are sometimes called "articular ligaments", "fibrous ligaments", or "true ligaments".
- A fold of peritoneum or other membrane
- The remnants of a tubular structure from the fetus|fetal period of life The first meaning is most commonly what is meant by the term "ligament". After briefly discussing the other two types of ligaments, the remainder of this article will focus upon the first type. The study of ligaments is known as '''desmology''' (from Ancient Greek|Greek , ''desmos'', "string"; and , ''-logy|-logia'').

Peritoneal ligaments

Certain folds of peritoneum are referred to as ''ligaments''. Examples include:
-
- The broad ligament of the uterus is also a fold of peritoneum.
- The suspensory ligament of the ovary

Fetal remnant ligaments

Certain tubular structures from the fetal period are referred to as ''ligaments'' after they close up and turn into cord-like structures:

Articular ligaments

In its most common use, a ''ligament'' is a short band of tough fibrous dense regular connective tissue composed mainly of long, stringy collagen fibers. Ligaments connect bones to other bones to form a joint. (They do ''not'' connect muscles to bones; that is the function of tendons.) Some ligaments limit the mobility of articulations, or prevent certain movements altogether. Capsular ligaments are part of the articular capsule that surrounds synovial joints. They act as mechanical reinforcements. Extra-capsular ligaments join bones together and provide joint stability. Ligaments are only elastic; when under tension, they gradually lengthen. This is one reason why dislocation (medicine)|dislocated joints must be set as quickly as possible: if the ligaments lengthen too much, then the joint will be weakened, becoming prone to future dislocations. Athletes, gymnasts, dancers, and martial artists perform stretching exercises to lengthen their ligaments, making their joints more supple. The term '''double-jointed''' refers to people who have more elastic ligaments, allowing their joints to stretch and contort further. The medical term for describing such ''double-jointed'' persons is hyperlaxity and double-jointed is a synonym of ''hyperlax''. The consequence of a broken ligament can be instability of the joint. Not all broken ligaments need surgery, but if surgery is needed to stabilise the joint, the broken ligament can be joined. Scar tissue may prevent this. If it is not possible to fix the broken ligament, other procedures such as the Brunelli Procedure can correct the instability. Instability of a joint can over time lead to wear of the cartilage and eventually to osteoarthritis.