anterior longitudinal ligament (lacertus medius)

Introduction

• a wide band of fibrous tissue interconnecting the anterolateral surfaces of the vertebral bodies
• it blends with the outer layer of the intervertebral disks as it passes between vertebrae

Pathology

• calcification of the anterior longitudinal ligament occurs with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH)

More general terms

• ligament

Additional terms

• vertebra