The ligament of Treitz is commonly understood to be the suspensory muscle of the duodenum. It arises from the connective tissue around the stems of the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery and inserts into the third and fourth portions of the duodenum and frequently into the duodenojejunal (DJ) flexure (between the duodenum and the jejunum) as well. Composed of a slip of skeletal muscle from the diaphragm and a fibromuscular band of smooth muscle from the third and fourth parts of the duodenum, when it contracts, it has the effect of opening the DJ flexure and permitting the flow of chyme. It is an important anatomical landmark and used to divide the GI tract into an upper portion and a lower portion.

Digestive system