Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 4, 2026

Targeting Gray Rami Communicantes in Selective Chemical Lumbar Sympathectomy
Published on: January 10, 2019
The anatomy of the iliolumbar ligament
1Department of Anatomy, University of Lund, Sweden.
Abstract:
During routine autopsies and anatomical dissections the anatomy of the iliolumbar ligament was studied and determined. In previous studies and literature, the ligament has been described to consist of three to five parts. We found the ligament to consist of only two parts: the anterior part and the posterior part, both attaching to the L5 transverse process. The insertion of the ligament has also been mentioned previously as attaching to the iliac crest. Both parts of the ligament were found to inset to the upper part of the iliac tuberosity, significantly lower than the iliac crest. The iliolumbar ligament cannot be visualized from the dorsal side before dissecting through all the lower back muscles and their fascias. We also found no evidence of any ligament part attaching to the L4 transverse process.
Related Concept Videos
Abdominal Regions and Quadrants
The simpler quadrants approach, which is more commonly used in medicine, subdivides the cavity with one horizontal and one vertical line that intersects at the patient's umbilicus (navel). The four quadrants...
Muscles of the Abdomen
Anterolateral Region
The anterolateral region comprises five paired muscles classified into the lateral and anterior...
Muscles of the Pelvic Floor and Perineum
Perineal Layer
The perineum is a diamond-shaped area below the pelvic diaphragm, divided into an anterior urogenital triangle that contains the external genitals and a posterior anal triangle housing the anus. The urogenital...
Muscles that Move the Thigh
Three other significant muscles are the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus originates from the posterior surface of the ilium, sacrum, and coccyx, and the thoracolumbar fascia...
Abdominal Aorta
The celiac trunk, a singular artery, divides into the left gastric artery, which...
Histology of the Large Intestine
The innermost mucosa layer comprises simple columnar epithelium, lamina propria, and muscularis mucosae. This layer is primarily populated with absorptive cells, tasked with water absorption, and goblet cells, responsible for secreting mucus to...

