THE BROAD LIGAMENT 



1267 



Broad ligament. — -The first three of these structures are entirely contained 

 within the true pelvis and are associated with a transverse fold of peritoneum 

 which rises from the floor of the pelvic cavity between the bladder and the rectum, 

 incompletely dividing the cavity into an anterior and a posterior compartment. 

 It is known as the broad ligament of the uterus [lig. latum uteri] (fig. 1026). The 

 broad ligament appears to extend laterally from the sides of the uterus to the 

 lateral walls and floor of the pelvis, although in reality it extends across the pelvic 

 cavity from side to side and encloses the uterus between the two layers of which 

 it is composed. It is attached to the floor of the pelvis below, where the two layers 

 are reflected, the one upon the anterior wall of the pelvis and the posterior and 

 superior surfaces of the bladder, and the other posteriorly over the floor of the 

 pelvis to the posterior pelvic wall and the rectum, forming the anterior wall of a 

 deep depression between the rectum and uterus, known as the recto-uterine pouch 

 (of Douglas) [excavatio rectouterina (cavum Douglasi)] (fig. 1035). Its lower 

 border also passes upward upon the sides of the pelvis, resting upon the pelvic 

 fascia, but its lateral borders are free, extending between the lateral wall of the 

 pelvis and the extremity of the tuba uterina on each side and forming what are 

 termed the infundihulo-pelvic ligaments. The upper border is also free and con- 

 tains the tuba uterina on either side, and the fundus of the uterus in the midline 

 (fig. 1027). 



Fig. 1028. — Cross-sections of the Body Illustrating the Development of the Female 

 Urogenital system. A, at Higher Level. B, at Lower Level. 



Intestine 



llerian 

 uct 



Uterus 



Bladder 



EpoSphoron 



WolflSan 

 duct 



Attached to the posterior layer of the broad hgament a little below its upper 

 border and therefore projecting into the posterior compartment of the pelvis, 

 there is a horizontal shelf, termed the mesovarium, since it has the ovary attached 

 to its free edge (fig. 1027). The portion of the broad ligament above this is known 

 as the mesosalpinx (salpinx = tuba), while that below is termed the mesometrium 

 (metra = uterus). The remaining structures that occur between the two layers 

 of the broad ligament will be described with the organs with which they are 

 associated, but it is to be noted that the ligament in its upper part is broader than 

 the transverse diameter of the pelvic cavity and its sides are accordingly folded 

 back upon the lateral walls of the cavity, following the course of the tuba uterina. 



The broad ligament is the adult representative of the fold of peritoneum which encloses 

 the embryonic excretory organ, the mesonephros. This is for a time a voluminous organ, 

 projecting under cover of the peritoneum from the dorsal wall of the abdomen and bearing 

 upon its medial wall a thickening, the genital ridge (fig. 1028 A), from which the reproductive 

 gland develops. In the free edge of the peritoneum enclosing it two ducts occur, the Wolffian 

 duct, which is the duct of the excretory organ and becomes the ductus deferens of the male, 

 and the Miillerian duct. With the progress of development the two MiiUerian ducts fuse in 

 the lower portions of their course to form the uterus and vagina (prostatic utriculus of the male), 

 while in their upper parts they remain separate and form the tubse uterinse. By this fusion 

 the two peritoneal folds are brought into continuity at their edges, and (the mesonephros de- 

 generating on the formation of the permanent kidney) constitute the broad hgament (fiig. 

 1028 B). This structure therefore contains between its two layers the uterus and the remains 

 of the mesonephros, and has the ovary attached to its posterior surface. In the male what 

 corresponds to the broad hgament fuses with the peritoneum covering the posterior surface of 

 the bladder. 



