Apical ligament of dens
Ligamentum apicis dentis
- Synonym: Apical dental ligament
Definition
In the triangular interval between thealar ligaments is another fibrous cord, the apcal ligament of dens (apical odontoid ligament), which extends from the tip of the odontoid process to the anterior margin of the foramen magnum, being intimately blended with the deep portion of the anterior atlantoöccipital membrane and superior crus of the transverse ligament of the atlas. It is regarded as a rudimentary intervertebral fibrocartilage, and in it traces of the notochord may persist.
This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).
