Anatomy - Posterior Abdominal Wall Flashcards
The abdominal cavity is bordered posteriorly by the […], superiorly by the […], and inferiorly by the […].
Thoracic and lumbar vertebrae
Diaphragm / ribs
Iliac blades







What are two lower limb maneuver tests you can do to test for appendicitis?
Psoas sign - retrocecal appendix that is inflamed –> pain signals come from somatic nerves innervating psoas muscle –> pain with extension of leg
Obturator sign –> pelvic appendix (inferior to cecum) that is inflamed –> pain signals come from somatic nerves innervating obturator muscle –> pain with flexion and internal rotation of leg

For each hiatus:
- Name
- What passes through it
- What level of spine

IVC – T8
Esophagus – T10
Aorta and thoracic duct – T12



The blood supply to the diaphragm comes from the […] arteries.
Superior and inferior phrenic
The inferior phrenic arteries come off the […].
Aorta
What two arteries branch off the inferior phrenic artery?
Superior adrenal or suprarenal arteries
- The diaphragm muscle is innervated by the […].
- The […] pierces the diaphragm by wrapping around the esophagus.
- What other important nerves pierce the diaphragm?
phrenic nerve
vagus nerve
The greater, lesser, and least splanchnic nerves and the sympathetic chain


- The abdominal aorta bifurcates into the common iliac arteries at about the […] level.
- The celiac trunk is at about the level of […], with the SMA […] at and the renal arteries at […].
- The IMA comes off at about […].
L4/L5
T12; L1 ; L1/L2
L3




Where do abdominal aortic aneurysisms most commonly occur?
Just superior to bifurcation, between renal and iliac arteries






What is an IVC filter?

Lymphatic drainage often follows […], so to guess where cancer in a certain organ is likely to metastasize to, follow the […].

veins
venous drainage







For each nerve, state which spinal cord level(s) it arises from:
- Subcostal
- Iliohypogastric
- Ilioinguinal
- Genitofemoral
- Lateral femoral cutaneous
- Femoral
- Obturator
- T12
- T12-L1
- T12-L1
- L1
- L2-L3
- L2 - L4
- L2 - L4
- The genitofemoral nerve is almost always right on the surface of the […] muscle.
- The femoral nerve is usually visible just lateral and deep to the […] muscle.
- The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is a bit more superior, running laterally on the surface of the […] muscle.
- The iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal nerves are even more superior, usually just superior to the […].
- psoas
- psoas
- iliacus
- iliac crest




- The ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerves are two branches of the […].
- They both provide some motor innervation to the […].
- Both have some sensory territory – the iliohypogastric along […] and the ilioinguinal on the […].
- L1 ventral ramus
- Lower abdominal muscles
- The skin overlying the inguinal canal; superior-most skin of the medial thigh


- The genitofemoral nerve runs along the anterior surface of the […] and then divides into a […] branch and a […] branch.
Psoas muscle; genital; femoral
The genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve provides motor innervation to the […] as well as sensory innervation to the […] .
- cremaster muscle of the scrotal wall in people with penises
- lateral scrotal wall
The femoral branch of the genitofemoral nerve provides some sensory innervation to the […].
Skin overlying the femoral triangle


What is the sensory and motor territory of the obturator nerve?

What is the sensory and motor territory of the femoral nerve?


