Fissure for Ligamentum Teres in the Male Liver, Anterior View

Description

Prominent on the inferior aspect of the anterior liver, the fissure for the ligamentum teres hepatis runs sagittally toward the inferior border, marking the anterior segment of the left sagittal fissure on the visceral surface. Medially it lies between the left lobe and the quadrate lobe, with the porta hepatis positioned posterior to it and the gallbladder fossa typically lateral on the right. The groove itself represents the course of the fibrous round ligament as it approaches the umbilical fissure and then continues posteriorly as the ligamentum venosum in the left sagittal fissure. Clear depiction of this fissure matters in hepatobiliary surgery and cross sectional anatomy because it anchors segmental orientation when the falciform ligament and round ligament are used as surface guides for Couinaud segmentation. During laparoscopic liver mobilization, the ligamentum teres is often divided to improve exposure, and its fissure helps confirm the anterior boundary of the left portal structures near the umbilical portion of the left portal vein. Portal hypertension can reopen the paraumbilical veins within the ligamentum teres, a pathway behind caput medusae and a consideration when dissecting in this region. Use this anterior, visceral surface view in gross anatomy teaching, surgical atlases covering cholecystectomy and left hepatectomy approaches, and radiology education pairing CT or MRI landmarks with surface anatomy. It also fits clinical graphics explaining fetal shunts (umbilical vein to round ligament) and adult collateral pathways in cirrhosis. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.