Ligaments of the lumbar neural foramina: A sectional anatomic study

Abstract The ligaments of the lumbar neural foramina have not been systematically described. We sectioned the lumbar spines of 15 cadavers in the sagittal plane with a cryomicrotome and identified the ligaments in the neural foramina. Fibrous ligaments were identified in every lumbar neural foramen. The most constant ligament was a band of fibrous tissue behind the anulus fibrosus and distinct from it, originating in one vertebral body and inserting in the next. Ligaments connecting the posterior disc margin and the superior articular process were found in 48% of the neural foramina. A band of fibrous tissue originating from the anulus fibrosus and inserting along the pedicle and superior articular process was found in 44% of the foramina. Three other distinct types of ligament were found less commonly. Ligaments, which some investigators believe may contribute to lateral spinal stenosis, are commonly present in the neural foramina.