ligament

/lig"euh meuhnt/, n.

1. Anat., Zool. a band of tissue, usually white and fibrous, serving to connect bones, hold organs in place, etc.

2. a tie or bond: The desire for personal freedom is a ligament uniting all peoples.

[1375-1425; late ME < ML ligamentum, L: bandage, equiv. to liga(re) to tie + -mentum -MENT]

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Tough fibrous band of connective tissue that supports internal organs and holds bones together properly in joints.

It is composed of dense bundles of fibres and spindle-shaped cells (fibroblasts and fibrocytes), with little ground substance. White ligament is rich in sturdy, inelastic collagen fibres; yellow ligament is rich in tough elastic fibres, which allow more movement. See also tendon.

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▪ anatomy

      tough fibrous band of connective tissue that serves to support the internal organs and hold bones (bone) together in proper articulation at the joints (joint). A ligament is composed of dense fibrous bundles of collagenous fibres and spindle-shaped cells known as fibrocytes, with little ground substance (a gel-like component of the various connective tissues). Ligaments may be of two major types: white ligament is rich in collagenous fibres, which are sturdy and inelastic; and yellow ligament is rich in elastic fibres, which are quite tough even though they allow elastic movement. At joints, ligaments form a capsular sac that encloses the articulating bone ends and a lubricating membrane, the synovial membrane. Sometimes the structure includes a recess, or pouch, lined by synovial tissue; this is called a bursa. Other ligaments fasten around or across bone ends in bands, permitting varying degrees of movement, or act as tie pieces between bones (such as the ribs or the bones of the forearm), restricting inappropriate movement.

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