512 LIGAMENTS OP THE LIVER. 



The liver is retained in its place by five ligaments; four of which 

 are formed by duplicatures of the peritoneum, and are 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 continuous with the corresponding layer of the longitudinal liga- 

 ment. 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 cellular tissue. This space is formed prin- 

 cipally 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 tendinous opening in the diaphragm. 



The Round ligament is a fibrous cord resulting from the oblitera- 

 tion of the umbilical vein, and situated between the two layers of 

 peritoneum 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. 



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. 



