The sacrotuberous ligament (great or posterior sacrosciatic ligament) is situated at the lower and back part of the pelvis. It is flat, and triangular in form; narrower in the middle than at the ends.
The membranous falciform process of the sacrotuberous ligament was found to be absent in 13% of cadavers. When present it extends towards the ischioanal fossa travelling along the ischial ramus and fusing with the obturator fascia.
The lower border of the ligament was found to be directly continuous with the tendon of origin of the long head of the Biceps femoris in approximately 50% of subjects[2]. Biceps femoris could therefore act to stabilise the sacroiliac joint via the sacrotuberous ligament.
Additional images
Articulations of pelvis. Anterior view.
The superficial branches of the internal pudendal artery.
The posterior aspect of the rectum exposed by removing the lower part of the sacrum and the coccyx.
Nélaton’s line and Bryant’s triangle.
External links
SUNY Figs13:03-04 - "Deep muscles of the gluteal region with gluteus medius and maximus muscles removed."
SUNY Figs17:02-05 - "Posterior view of the bones and ligaments of the hip joint."
^ Marios Loukas,Robert G Louis Jr, Barry Hallner, Ankmalika A Gupta and Dorothy White. (2006) "Anatomical and surgical considerations of the sacrotuberous ligament and its relevance in pudendal nerve entrapment syndrome" Surg Radiol Anat 28(2): 163-169
^ Vleeming, A., R. Stoeckart, et al. (1989). "The sacrotuberous ligament: a conceptual approach to its dynamic role in stabilizing the sacroiliac joint." Clinical Biomechanics 4(4): 200-203.
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.
