Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

An anatomical study of the lumbar external foraminal ligaments: appearance at MR imaging

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the MRI appearance of the ligaments within the external space of the lumbar intervertebral foramen by correlating MR images with the corresponding anatomic dissection of the cadaver lumbar spine.

Methods

This was a two part study. Part I of the anatomic study consisted of the dissection of lumbar specimens from one embalmed adult male cadaver. At each lumbar level the external ligamentous structures were identified and their origin, insertion and position were determined. Part II of the study consisted of the anatomical analysis of the external transforaminal ligaments in the 180 lumbar intervertebral foramina on the MR images (1.5 T) in the sagittal plane. The diagnostic procedure was performed on 18 individuals from 18 to 25 years of age.

Results

The external transforaminal ligaments were observed at all levels and from both sides in the lumbar intervertebral foramen. The presence of the superior corporotransverse ligament was found in 45.56 % intervertebral foramina, while the inferior corporotransverse ligament was found in 61.67 % intervertebral foramina in the MRI.

Conclusion

Our results confirm that external transforaminal ligaments are common structures in the intervertebral foramen. The results of this study show that the external transforaminal ligaments can be clearly visualized in MR images. It is crucial to have previous knowledge of the cadaveric specimens to recognize the transforaminal ligaments in MR images. The presence of these ligaments is clinically important because the ligaments could be the cause of nerve root compression or the low back pain syndrome.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Amonoo-Kuofi HS, EL-Badawi MG, Fatani JA (1988) Ligaments associated with lumbar intervertebral foramina: Part1. L1 to L4. J Anat 156:177–183

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Bakkum BW, Mestan M (1994) The effects of transforaminal ligaments on the sizes of T11 to L5 human intervertebral foramina. J Manip Physiol Ther 17(8):517–522

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Behrsin JF, Briggs CA (1988) Ligaments of the lumbar spine: a review. Surg Radiol Anat 10(3):211–219

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Church CP, Buehler MT (1991) Radiographic evaluation of the corporotransverse ligament at the L5 intervertebral foramen: A cadaveric study. J Manip Physiol Ther 14(4):240–248

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Cramer GD, Skogsbergh DR, Bakkum BW, Winterstein JF, Yu S, Tuck NR (2002) Evaluation of transforaminal ligaments by magnetic resonance imaging. J Manip Physiol Ther 25:199–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Gilchrist RV, Slipman CW, Bhagia SM (2002) Anatomy of the intervertebral foramen. Pain Physician 5(4):372–378

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Giles L (1992) Ligaments traversing the intervertebral canals of the human lower lumbosacral spine. Neuro Orthopedics 13:25–38

    Google Scholar 

  8. Golub BS, Silverman B (1969) Transforaminal ligaments of the lumbar spine. J Bone Joint Surg Am 51:947–956

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Gremes PF, Massie JB, Garfin SR (2000) Anatomic and biomechanical analysis of the lower lumbar foraminal ligaments. Spine 25(16):2009–2014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kraan GA, Delwel EJ, Hoogland PV, van der Veen MR, Wuisman PI, Stoeckart R, Kleinrensink GJ, Snijders CJ (2005) Extraforaminal ligament attachments of human lumbar nerves. Spine 30(6):601–605

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Magnusson PB (1944) Differential diagnosis of causes of pain in the lower back accompanied by sciatic pain. Ann Surg 119:878–891

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Min JH, Kang SH, Lee JB, Cho TH, Suh JG (2005) Anatomic analysis of the transforaminal ligament in the lumbar intervertebral foramen. Neurosurgery 57(1):37–41

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Nowicki BH, Haughton VM (1992) Neural foraminal ligaments of the lumbar spine: appearance at CT and MR imaging. Radiology 183:257–264

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Nowicki BH, Haughton VM (2005) Ligaments of the lumbar neural foramina: A sectional anatomic study. Clin Anat 5(2):126–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Park HK, Rudrappa S, Dujovny M, Diaz FG (2001) Intervertebral foraminal ligaments of the lumbar spine: anatomy and biomechanics. Childs Nerv Syst 17:275–282

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Qian Y, Qin A, Zheng MH (2011) Transforaminal ligament may play a role in lumbar nerve root compression of foraminal stenosis. Med Hypotheses 77(6):1148–1149

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Scapinelli R (1990) Anatomical and radiologic studies on the lumbosacral meningovertebral ligament of humans. J Spinal Dosord 3:6–15

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. All authors that have participated to the study and to the redaction of this manuscript have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitiy of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova 3, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Dušica L. Marić, Bojana Krstonošić & Mirela Erić

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universitiy of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Dušan M. Marić & Milan Stanković

  3. Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Nebojša T. Milošević

Authors
  1. Dušica L. Marić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bojana Krstonošić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mirela Erić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dušan M. Marić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Milan Stanković
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Nebojša T. Milošević
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dušica L. Marić.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Marić, D.L., Krstonošić, B., Erić, M. et al. An anatomical study of the lumbar external foraminal ligaments: appearance at MR imaging. Surg Radiol Anat 37, 87–91 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-014-1320-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-014-1320-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation