The transverse acetabular ligament bridges the acetabular notch at the inferior acetabulum, continuing the acetabular labrum across the notch and converting it into a foramen. The acetabular branches of the obturator and medial circumflex femoral arteries pass beneath it to the acetabular fossa and the ligament of the head of the femur. The ligamentum teres attaches partly to it. It is an important landmark in both hip arthroscopy and hip replacement.
| Origin | Both acetabular rim edges across the acetabular notch |
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| Insertion | Bridges the inferior acetabular notch converting it to a foramen for the acetabular vessels |
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Completes the acetabular rim across the acetabular notch and forms a foramen for vessels to the femoral head.
The transverse acetabular ligament (TAL) is an orientation landmark in hip arthroscopy, marking the 6 o'clock position on the acetabular clock face. In total hip arthroplasty it is used as a guide to acetabular cup version and depth, with the cup edge set parallel to and just within the ligament. Labral tears that extend all the way to the TAL indicate an extensive tear.
Cup placement in hip replacement that ignores landmarks such as the TAL can lead to incorrect version, impingement and dislocation.
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