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AnatomyPelvis and perineumFemale pelvis and reproductive organsUterosacral ligament
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AnatomyPelvis and perineumFemale pelvis and reproductive organsUterosacral ligament

Uterosacral ligament

Author: Christina Loukopoulou, MSc • Reviewer: Dimitrios Mytilinaios, MD, PhD
Last reviewed: March 12, 2024
Reading time: 1 minute

Recommended video: Uterus and ovaries [24:39]
Structure of the vagina, uterus, uterine tubes and ovaries.
Uterosacral ligament
Ligamentum uterosacrale
1/2
Synonyms: Rectouterine ligament, Sacrouterine ligament , show more...

The paired uterosacral ligaments are extraperitoneal fibrous bands supporting and holding the uterus in its place.

The uterosacral ligaments attach proximally to the uterine cervix and superior part of the vagina and distally to the coccygeus muscle, sacrospinous ligament, ischial spine and presacral fascia between vertebrae S2 and S4.

Structurally, they are composed of a superficial part which consists of smooth muscle, connective and adipose tissue and a deep part which comprises splanchnic nerve fibers and vessels.

The uterosacral ligaments are located lateral to the rectum and medial
to the ureters and thus provide the lateral boundaries of the rectouterine and rectovaginal spaces.

Terminology English: Uterosacral ligament
Synonyms: Rectouterine ligament, Sacrouterine ligament, Rectosacral ligament

Latin: Ligamentum uterosacrale
Synonym: Ligamentum sacrouterinum, Ligamentum rectouterinum, Ligamentum rectosacrale
Definition The paired uterosacral ligaments are extraperitoneal fibrous bands supporting and holding the uterus in its place.

Learn more about the uterus and ovaries in the following study unit:

Uterus, uterine tubes and ovaries Explore study unit

Sources

All content published on Kenhub is reviewed by medical and anatomy experts. The information we provide is grounded on academic literature and peer-reviewed research. Kenhub does not provide medical advice. You can learn more about our content creation and review standards by reading our content quality guidelines.
  • Kaniewskam M., Gołofit, P., Heubner, M., Maake, C. and Kubik-Huch, R.A. (2018). Suspensory Ligaments of the Female Genital Organs: MRI Evaluation with Intraoperative Correlation. RadioGraphics, 38:7, 2195-2211.
  • Moore, K. L., Dalley, A. F. and Agur, A. (2017). Clinically oriented anatomy (8th ed.). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
  • Standring, S. (2016). Gray's Anatomy (41st ed.). Edinburgh: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.

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