Expansion
Lacunar and pectineal ligaments extend from the medial end of the inguinal ligament
Expansion
The inguinal (Poupart’s) ligament is the rolled-under lower border of the external oblique aponeurosis, running from the anterior superior iliac spine to the pubic tubercle. Three extensions arise from its medial end:
- Lacunar (Gimbernat’s) ligament - a triangular expansion to the pectineal line, forming the sharp medial boundary of the femoral ring
- Pectineal (Cooper’s) ligament - continues laterally along the pecten pubis; strong enough to hold sutures, and used in the McVay hernia repair
- Reflected ligament - passes upwards to the linea alba
The inguinal ligament also gives origin to part of internal oblique and transversus abdominis, and forms the roof of the femoral triangle.
An aberrant obturator artery crosses the lacunar ligament in a proportion of people, the “corona mortis”, which is why blind division of that ligament carries a bleeding risk.