falciform ligament
Summary
The falciform ligament is a sickle-shaped peritoneal fold that connects the liver to the anterior abdominal wall and diaphragm. It contains the ligamentum teres (round ligament of the liver), which is the obliterated umbilical vein, and serves as an important anatomical landmark dividing the liver into right and left lobes.
Detail
The falciform ligament is a double-layered peritoneal structure that extends from the umbilicus to the diaphragm, attaching the liver to the anterior abdominal wall. Its name derives from its sickle-like appearance ('falx' = sickle). The ligament contains the ligamentum teres hepatis (round ligament), which is the fibrous remnant of the fetal left umbilical vein that carried oxygenated blood from the placenta to the fetus. This structure runs from the umbilicus to the left branch of the portal vein at the porta hepatis. The falciform ligament anatomically divides the liver into right and left lobes, though this division is more anatomical than functional. Clinically, it's important during surgical procedures as it can be used as a landmark for liver resection and laparoscopic procedures. The ligament may contain small paraumbilical veins that can become enlarged in portal hypertension, potentially contributing to caput medusae formation around the umbilicus.
Sources
- Gray's Anatomy
- Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy
- Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy
- Sabiston Textbook of Surgery
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