The Membrana Tectoria is situated within the vertebral canal.

It is a broad, strong band which covers the dens

Dens (anatomy)

The dens is a protuberance of the axis . It exhibits a slight constriction or neck, where it joins the main body of the vertebra...

 and its ligaments, and appears to be a prolongation upward of the posterior longitudinal ligament

Posterior longitudinal ligament

The posterior longitudinal ligament is situated within the vertebral canal, and extends along the posterior surfaces of the bodies of the vertebræ, from the body of the axis, where it is continuous with the membrana tectoria, to the sacrum....

 of the vertebral column

Vertebral column

In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...

.

It is fixed, below, to the posterior surface of the body of the axis, and, expanding as it ascends, is attached to the basilar groove of the occipital bone

Occipital bone

The occipital bone, a saucer-shaped membrane bone situated at the back and lower part of the cranium, is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself...

, in front of the foramen magnum, where it blends with the cranial dura mater

Dura mater

The dura mater , or dura, is the outermost of the three layers of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is derived from Mesoderm. The other two meningeal layers are the pia mater and the arachnoid mater. The dura surrounds the brain and the spinal cord and is responsible for...

.

Its anterior surface is in relation with the transverse ligament of the atlas

Transverse ligament of the atlas

The transverse ligament of the atlas is a thick, strong band, which arches across the ring of the atlas, and retains the odontoid process in contact with the anterior arch....

, and its posterior surface with the dura mater.