The medial umbilical ligament (or cord of umbilical artery) is a paired structure found in human anatomy

Anatomy

Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...

. It is on the deep surface of the anterior abdominal wall, and is covered by the medial umbilical folds (plica umbilicalis mediana).

Origins

It represents the remnant of the fetal umbilical arteries, which serves no purpose in humans after birth, except for the part that becomes the adult umbilical artery.

Functions

It may be used as a landmark for surgeons exploring the medial inguinal fossa

Medial inguinal fossa

The medial inguinal fossa is a depression located within the inguinal triangle on the peritoneal surface of the anterior abdominal wall between the ridges formed by the lateral umbilical fold and the medial umbilical ligament, corresponding to the superficial inguinal ring.-External links: -...

 during laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Other than this, it has no purpose in an adult and it may be cut or damaged with impunity.

Relations

The supravesical fossa

Supravesical fossa

The supravesical fossa is a fossa bounded by the medial umbilical fold and median umbilical fold....

, and therefore a supravesical hernia, is medial to this structure. The medial inguinal fossa

Medial inguinal fossa

The medial inguinal fossa is a depression located within the inguinal triangle on the peritoneal surface of the anterior abdominal wall between the ridges formed by the lateral umbilical fold and the medial umbilical ligament, corresponding to the superficial inguinal ring.-External links: -...

, and therefore a direct inguinal hernia

Direct inguinal hernia

The direct inguinal hernia, a type of inguinal hernia, enters through a weak point in the fascia of the abdominal wall, and its sac is noted to be medial to the inferior epigastric vessels...

, is lateral to it.

See also

• median umbilical ligament
  Median umbilical ligament
  The median umbilical ligament is a structure in human anatomy. It is a shrivelled piece of tissue that represents the remnant of the embryonic urachus.It extends from the apex of the bladder to the umbilicus, on the deep surface of the anterior abdominal wall...
  
   (which is a different structure)
• lateral umbilical ligament
  Lateral umbilical ligament
  The lateral umbilical fold overlies the inferior epigastric artery and its accompanying veins. Unlike the median and medial umbilical folds, the contents of the Lateral Umbilical fold remain functional after birth....
  
  

External links

• Medial umbilical ligament
  • - "The inguinal canal and derivation of the layers of the spermatic cord."

• Medial umbilical fold
  • - "Internal surface of the anterior abdominal wall."

Additional images