Medial umbilical ligament
The medial umbilical ligament is a paired structure found in human anatomy. It is on the deep surface of the anterior abdominal wall, and is covered by the medial umbilical folds. It is different to the median umbilical ligament, a structure that represents the remnant of the embryonic urachus.Origins
It represents the remnant of the umbilical arteries, which serves no purpose in humans after birth, except for the initial part that becomes the adult superior vesical artery.
The occluded part of umbilical artery becomes the medial umbilical ligament postnatal.
The medial umbilical ligament arises from the anterior division of the internal iliac artery.Functions
It may be used as a landmark for surgeons exploring the medial inguinal fossa 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, and therefore a supravesical hernia, is medial to this structure. The medial inguinal fossa, and therefore a direct inguinal hernia, is lateral to it.Additional images
