Abdominal Wall and Peritoneum Flashcards
What are the contents of the abdominal region?
- peritoneal cavity
- gastrointestinal tract and associated glands and digestive organs
- nerves, lymphatics, and blood vessels
- renal system
What is the pelvic inlet?
- a line (also called linea terminalis) that separates the true pelvis from the false pelvis.
- superior to the linea terminalis -> abdomen or false pelvis
- inferior to the linea terminalis -> pelvis or true pelvis
What is the pelvic inlet formed from?
-
Pectin pubis
- pubic bone
-
Arcuate line
- ilium
-
Sacral promontory
- sacrum
Is the Camper’s fascia deep or superficial to Scarpa’s fascia and what is it continuos with?
- Fatty Layer (more superficial than Scarpa’s)
- continuous with the superficial fatty layers in the thorax, thigh and perineus
- NOTE: superficial blood vessels run in the fatty layer of superficial fascia
What is Scarpa’s fascia continuous with?
- Membranous layer (deep to Camper’s fascia)
- continuous with the fascia lata in the thigh and with the deep layer of superficial perineal fascia (continuous over the penis and scrotum)
What is clinically important about deep fascia of the abdominal wall?
Holds Sutures
True or False:
There is a potential space between the membranous layer of superficial fascia and the deep fascia of the external abdominal oblique muscle.
True
** fluid can leak into this potential space between the membranous layer of superficial fascia and the deep fascia of the external abdominal oblique muscle **
What is the transpyloric plane?
Transverse plane midway between the superior borders of the pubic symphysis and the manubrium.
What is the subcostal plane?
Plane at the lowest level of the costal margin (the inferior margin of the tenth costal cartilage).
What is the supracrestal plane?
Plane passing through the summits of the iliac crests. (through belly button)
What is the transtubercular plane?
Plane at the level of the iliac tubercles (the iliac tubercle lies - 5 cm posterolateral to the anterior superior iliac spine).
What is the interspinous plane?
Plane at the level of the anterior superior iliac spine.
Which 4 pairs of muscles, located anteriorly and laterally, collectively compress and hold the abdominal organs in place?
- external oblique
- internal oblique
- transversus abdominis
- rectus abdominis
** work together to FLEX and STABILIZE the vertebral column **
What happens when the external oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis, and rectus abdominis unilaterally contract?
Laterally flex the vertebral column.
What other muscles, located posteriorly, flex the spine and lower limb?
- iliacus
- psoas major
- psoas minor
- quadratus lumborum
Fill in the Blank:
The three “flat” muscles of the anterior/lateral abdominal wall end anteriorly in a strong sheet of aponeurosis called the _______ ________.
Rectus sheath
What is the midline of the rectus sheath called?
linea alba
What is the arcuate line?
- The line where the arrangement of the layers of fascia and aponeuroses of the muscles forming the rectus sheath are arranged differently in the upper abdominal wall than they are in the lower wall.
- Located 1/2 way between umbilicus and pubic symphysis.
What is going on above the arcuate line?
The aponeurosis from the internal oblique splits to surround rectus abdominis and the aponeurosis from transversus abdominus runs posterior to rectus abdominis.
What is goin on below the arcuate line?
Rectus abdominis muscle lies directly on transversalis fascia.
Which muscle forms the inguinal ligament?
external oblique
Where do the superficial system of arteries of the anterior abdominal wall run?
- Run in the superficial fascial layer
- superficial circumflex iliac artery
- superficial epigastric artery
- external pudendal artery
- superficial branch
- deep branch
Where do deep anterior abdominal wall veins drain to?
- Deep Drainage (right)
- within abdominal wall muscles (like the deep arteries)
- to subclavian vv.
- to external iliac vv.
- to lumbar and intercostal vv.
Where do the anterior abdominal wall veins run within?
within Camper’s fascia
Where do the anterior abdominal walls veins drain into (superficial drainage)?
- thoracoepigastric vv.
- lateral thoracic vv.
- superficial epigastric vv.
What is the innervation of the anterior abdominal wall?
- Dermatomes (sensory)
- T7-L1
- T7 is xiphoid region (tip)
- T10 is umbilical region
- L1 is inguinal fold region
- Innervate muscles (motor)
- intercostal nn., T7-T11
- subcostal nerve, T12
- lumbar nn., L1-L4
Between which two muscle layers do the cutaneous branches of ventral rami, intercostal nn, lie between?
- Lie between internal abdomnial oblique and transversus abdominis
- Pierce the rectus sheath to innervate the rectus abdominis muscles
- Supply skin, muscles, and parietal peritoneum
- Angle inferiomedially
Which nerve of the anterior abdominal wall nerves supplies the supra pubic region?
- Iliohypogastric nerve
- L1 (sometimes + T12)
- lateral cutaneous branch
- anterior cutaneous branch
Which nerve of the anterior abdominal wall nerves enters the inguinal canal and emerges through the superficial inguinal ring to supply the groin and scrotum/labium major?
Ilioinguinal nerve
Where does the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve exit and what does it innervate?
- exits the inguinal canal through the superficial inguinal ring
- innervates the cremaster muscle or is cutaneous to the labium majus
What is the superficial lymphatic drainage of the anterior abdomin?
- superficial lymphatic drainage
- drains superiorly from umbilical region to anterior axillary and sternal nodes
- drains inferiorly from umbilical region to superficial inguinal nodes
- deep lymphatic drainage:
- along posterior intercostal and lumbar vessels to deep abdominal nodes
- from testes to deep abdominal nodes
What is the definition of a hernia?
A portion of the viscera protrudes through a weakened point of the muscular wall of the abdominopelvic cavity.
What is a strangulated intestinal hernia?
Blood flow to the trapped segment may diminish, causing that portion of the intestine to die. Very painful and can be life-threatening.
Which hernia type is the most common?
inguinal hernia
Which region of the abdominal wall is the weakest, thus leading to the most common type of hernia, inguinal hernia?
Inguinal region
Between male and female, which is more likely to develop an inguinal hernia?
Males
What are the two types of inguinal hernias?
- Direct inguinal hernia -> the loop of small intestine protrudes directly through the superficial inguinal ring, but not down the entire length of the inguinal canal, and creates a bulge in the lower anterior abdominal wall.
- Indirect inguinal hernia -> herniation travels down the entire inguinal canal and may even extend all the way into the scrotum.
Which type of hernia travels the entire inguinal canal and can even exten into the scrotum?
indirect inguinal hernia
In an indirect inguinal hernia, where does the herniation pass, and what does it follow?
- Herniation passes lateral to inferior epigastric vessels to enter deep inguinal ring.
- Follows path of spermatic cord.