03.1 Surgical and Abdominal Anatomy

Question 1

What is the linea alba?

Answer 1

Aponeuroses of abdominal muscles that separate the left and right rectus abdominis.

Question 2

What are the lines that are on the lateral border or rectus abdominis?

Answer 2

Semilunar lines.

Question 3

Where and what is the arcuate (Douglas’) line?

Answer 3

1/3 of the way from umbillicus to the pubic crest.

Where the fibrous sheath stops.

Question 4

What is the rectus sheath?

Answer 4

Where all three flat muscles form a tough aponeurosis that encloses the rectus abdominis.

Question 5

What needs to be taken into consideration when designing a surgical incision?

Answer 5

Making sure the incision can be closed and can provide long lasting strength in order to minimise the risk of herniae.
(You cannot sew muscle fibres together?

Question 6

What is a midline incision?

Answer 6

A vertical incision through the linea alba.

Question 7

What is a transverse incision?

Answer 7

Suturing the external oblique aponeuroses together after a horizontal incision.

Question 8

Where would you create an incision in order to remove an appendix?

Answer 8

At McBurney’s point.

2/3rds the distance from the umbillicus to ASIS.

Question 9

What kind of incision is used for an appendicectomy?

Answer 9

Gridiron incision.

Question 10

What is a gridiron incision?

Answer 10

Putting the scissors in closed and opening them to separate the muscle fibres for all 3 layers.

Question 11

What are the flat abdominal muscles?

Answer 11

External oblique
Internal oblique
Transversalis abdominis.

Question 12

Lateral to the midclavicular line what are the muscle layers from superficial to deep in the abdomen?

Answer 12

External oblique
Internal oblique
Transversalis abdominis

Question 13

What are the vertical muscles in the abdominal wall called?

Answer 13

Rectus abdominis.

Pyramidalis.

Question 14

What is somatic referred pain?

Answer 14

Pain caused by a stimulus to the proximal part of a somatic nerve that is then perceived in the distal dermatome of that nerve.

Question 15

What is visceral referred pain?

Answer 15

Where a visceral mesothelium’s afferent nerve fibres are stimulated which then follow back to the spinal cord segment that gave rise to that nerve.
The brain then perceives this as pain coming from the somatic portion of the body supplied by that spinal cord.

Question 16

Where is appendicitis viscerally referred pain located?

Answer 16

T10, umbillicus.

Question 17

Is the peritoneal cavity an enclosed space?

Answer 17

In males yes.

In females there is a communication pathway via the uterine tubes.

Question 18

What is a mesentery?

Answer 18

Double layer of peritoneum that results from the invagination of peritoneum by an organ.

Question 19

What is an omentum?

Answer 19

Fold of peritoneum.

Question 20

What is the pouch between the bladder and rectum in males?

Answer 20

Rectovesicle pouch

Question 21

What is the pouch between the uterus and bladder called?

Answer 21

Uterovesicle pouch.

Question 22

What is the pouch between the uterus and rectum?

Answer 22

Rectouterine pouch

‘Pouch of Douglas’

Question 23

What is a peritoneal ligament?

Answer 23

Double layer of peritoneum that connects an organ to another organ or the abdominal wall.

Question 24

Name the retroperitoneal organs.

Answer 24

Adrenal glands
Aorta + IVC
Duodenum
Pancreas (except tail)
Ureters
Colon
Kidneys
Oesophagus 
Rectum