[Cognition and reflection on the "lateral ligament of rectum"]

As total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer is widely carried out in China, lateral ligament of rectum, as an important anatomical structure of the lateral rectum with certain anatomical value and clinical significance, has been the focus of attention. In this paper, by comparing and analyzing the characteristics about ligaments of the abdomen and pelvis, reviewing the membrane anatomy and the theory of primitive gut rotation, and combining clinical observations and histological studies, the author came to a conclusion that lateral ligament of rectum does not exist, but is only a relatively dense space on the rectal side accompanied by numerous tiny nerve plexuses and small blood vessels penetrating through it.