Nuchal ligament

Ligamentum nuchae

Definition

The ligamentum nuchal is a fibrous membrane, which, in the neck, represents the supraspinal ligaments of the lower vertebræ.

It extends from the external occipital protuberance and median nuchal line to the spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebra.

From its anterior border a fibrous lamina is given off, which is attached to the posterior tubercle of the atlas, and to the spinous processes of the cervical vertebræ, and forms a septum between the muscles on either side of the neck. In man it is merely the rudiment of an important elastic ligament, which, in some of the lower animals, serves to sustain the weight of the head.

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/).

Comparative anatomy in animals

Translations

Translations