hypochordal bow
Last reviewed 01/2018
A hypochordal bow is the structure produced by the passage of the middle fibres of the arcuate ligaments of the head of a rib to the other side of a vertebral body. The fibres intertwine during passage across the midline.
Developmentally, it is important as the origin of the anterior arch of the atlas vertebra. The ligament ossifies within the atlas.