Tectorial membrane of atlanto-axial joint
The tectorial membrane of atlanto-axial joint (occipitoaxial ligaments) is situated within the vertebral canal.
| Tectorial membrane (axis) | |
|---|---|
 Membrana tectoria, transverse, and alar ligaments. (Membrana tectoria labeled at far left.) | |
 Median sagittal section through the occipital bone and first three cervical vertebræ. (Membrana tectoria labeled at left, second from top.) | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | membrana tectoria |
| TA98 | A03.2.04.007 |
| FMA | 25013 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
It is a broad, strong band which covers the dens of the axis, and its ligaments, and appears to be a prolongation upward of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the vertebral column.
It is fixed, below, to the posterior surface of the body of the axis, and, expanding as it ascends, is attached to the basilar groove of the occipital bone, in front of the foramen magnum, where it blends with the cranial dura mater.
Its anterior surface is in relation with the transverse ligament of the atlas, and its posterior surface with the dura mater.
References
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 296 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)