ligament

ligament

ligament From the Latin for a bond or tie. A sheet or band of tough, inelastic, fibrous connective tissue. Around joints, ligaments form a cuff or ‘capsule’, along with additional strengthening bands outside it (e.g. spanning the sides of the knee), or they link the ends of the bones inside a joint (e.g. the cruciate ligaments, joining the tibia and femur in the knee joint). The edges or ends of such ligaments are fused with the relevant bones. (Not to be confused with tendons, which extend skeletal muscles to their attachments.) Supports in other sites include the broad ligament for the uterus and Fallopian tubes, which attaches them to the pelvic wall, and the suspensory ligaments for a variety of organs (e.g. eyeball, breast, penis).

Stuart Judge


See also connective tissue; joints.
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COLIN BLAKEMORE and SHELIA JENNETT. "ligament." The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

COLIN BLAKEMORE and SHELIA JENNETT. "ligament." The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O128-ligament.html

COLIN BLAKEMORE and SHELIA JENNETT. "ligament." The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2001. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O128-ligament.html

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ligament

lig·a·ment / ˈligəmənt/ • n. Anat. a short band of tough, flexible, fibrous connective tissue that connects two bones or cartilages or holds together a joint. ∎  a membranous fold that supports an organ and keeps it in position. ∎  any similar connecting or binding structure. ∎ archaic a bond of union. DERIVATIVES: lig·a·men·tal / ˌligəˈmentl/ adj. lig·a·men·ta·ry / ˌligəˈment(ə)rē/ adj. lig·a·men·tous / ˌligəˈmentəs/ adj. ORIGIN: late Middle English: from Latin ligamentum ‘bond,’ from ligare ‘to bind.’

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"ligament." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"ligament." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-ligament.html

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ligament

ligament , strong band of white fibrous connective tissue that joins bones to other bones or to cartilage in the joint areas. The bundles of collagenous fibers that form ligaments tend to be pliable but not elastic. They therefore permit freedom of movement within a certain limited range while holding the attached bones firmly in place. For example, the ligaments at the knee limit the movement of the lower leg to a certain range. Other types of ligaments form fibrous sheets that support such internal organs as the kidneys and the spleen.

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"ligament." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"ligament." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-ligament.html

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ligament

ligament (lig-ă-mĕnt) n.
1. a tough band of white fibrous connective tissue that links two bones together at a joint. Ligaments are inelastic but flexible; they strengthen the joint and limit its movements to certain directions.

2. a sheet of peritoneum that supports or links together abdominal organs.

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"ligament." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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ligament

ligament A resilient but flexible band of tissue (chiefly collagen) that holds two or more bones together at a movable joint. Ligaments restrain the movement of bones at a joint and are therefore important in preventing dislocation.

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"ligament." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"ligament." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-ligament.html

"ligament." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-ligament.html

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ligament

ligament Bands of tough fibrous connective tissue that join bone to bone at the joints. Ligaments, which contain the tough protein collagen, form part of the supporting tissues of the body.

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"ligament." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"ligament." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-ligament.html

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ligament

ligament short band of animal tissue XIV; ligature XVI. — L. ligāmentum, f. ligāre bind, tie; see -MENT.
So ligature XIV.

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T. F. HOAD. "ligament." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "ligament." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ligament.html

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ligament

ligament A band of tissue that holds together adjacent bones in a vertebrate and valves in an invertebrate.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "ligament." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "ligament." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-ligament.html

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Palpation of the iliolumbar ligament.
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