Structures · Ligaments
Tectorial membrane
The upward continuation of the posterior longitudinal ligament, from the axis to the clivus of the skull, behind the cruciform ligament.
SchematicShow in the 3D spine
What the sources say
“This thin structure represents an upward extension of the posterior longitudinal ligament (Fig. 1 ).” Offiah and Day 2016
“The TM firmly attached to the bony surface of the clivus, traversed the atlantoaxial joint posteriorly, and was inserted to the body of the axis showing wide distribution on the craniovertebral junction.” Lee et al. 2022
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- Spinal ligaments
The bands that tie the vertebrae together along the front, inside the canal and along the back. What each one joins, which movement it limits, and how they continue up to the skull.
- The craniocervical junction
Where the skull meets the spine. The atlas carries the skull, the axis lets the head turn, and a small set of ligaments, above all the transverse ligament, holds the joints together.
For learning only. Levels and sizes vary between people; nothing here describes a particular person or gives medical advice. Sources: Offiah and Day 2016; Lee et al. 2022.