LIGAMENTS OF THE LIVER. 575 



situated upon the convex surface of the organ ; the fifth being a 

 fibrous cord which passes through a fissure in its under surface, from 

 the umbilicus to the inferior vena cava. They are the 



Longitudinal, 

 Two lateral, 

 Coronary, 

 Round. 



The longitudinal ligament (broad, ligamentum suspensorium hepatis) 

 is an antero-posterior fold of peritoneum, extending from the notch on 

 the anterior margin of the liver to its posterior border. Between its 

 two layers in the anterior and free margin is the round ligament. 



The two Lateral ligaments are formed by the two layers of peri- 

 toneum, which pass from the under surface of the diaphragm to the 

 posterior border of the liver ; they correspond with its lateral lobes. 



The Coronary ligament is formed by the separation of the two layers 

 forming the lateral ligaments near their point of convergence. The 

 posterior layer is continued unbroken from one lateral ligament into 

 the other ; but the anterior quits the posterior at each side, and is con- 

 tinuous with the corresponding layer of the longitudinal ligament. In 

 this way a large oval surface on the posterior border of the liver is left 

 uncovered by peritoneum, and is connected to the diaphragm by a 

 dense areolar tissue. This space is formed principally by the right 

 lateral ligament, and is pierced near its left extremity by the inferior 

 vena cava, previously to the passage of that vessel through the ten- 

 dinous opening in the diaphragm. 



The Round ligament is a fibrous cord resulting from the obliteration 

 of the umbilical vein, and situated between the two layers of peri- 

 toneum in the anterior border of the longitudinal ligament. It may 

 be traced from the umbilicus, along the longitudinal fissure upon 

 the under surface of the liver to the inferior vena cava to which it is 

 connected. 



Fiss2ires. The under surface of the liver is marked by five fissures 

 which divide its surface into five compartments or lobes, two principal 

 and three minor lobes ; they are the 



Fissures. Lobes. 



Longitudinal fissure, Right lobe, 



Fissure of the ductus venosus, Left lobe, 



Transverse fissure, Lobus quadratus, 



Fissure for the gall bladder, Lobus Spigelii, 



Fissure for the vena cava. Lobus caudatus. 



The Longitudinal fissure is a deep groove running from the notch 

 upon the anterior margin of the liver, to the posterior border of the 

 organ. At about one-third from its posterior extremity it is joined by 

 a short but deep fissure, the transverse, which meets it transversely 

 from the under part of the right lobe. 



