Anterior Abdominal Wall, Diaphragm, and Peritoneal Cavity Flashcards
What is the abdomen?
Part of the trunk between thorax and pelvis that houses the digestive organs and part of the urogenital system
Functions of the anterior abdominal wall
1) Supports and protects viscera
2) Trunk movements (posture and rotation/flexion)
3) Ambulation
4) Increase of intra-abdominal pressure by muscle contraction
5) Disease diagnosis
Borders of the anterior abdominal wall
Superior: Costal margins (6th to 12th ribs) and xiphoid process
Inferior: ASIS, inguinal ligament, pubic crest, pubic symphisis
Lateral: Vertical plane thru ASIS
Vertebral level of the umbilicus
Between L3 and L4 / T10 dermatome
Fetal precursor of umbilicus
Site of fetal connection to the placenta (via umbilical vein and artery)
Composition of the linea alba
Union of aponeuroses of flat muscles on either side
T or F: Inferior to the umbilicus, the linea alba is not indicated by a groove
T
The linea semilunaris serves as a marker for what?
The lateral margin of the rectus abdominis
The transverse attachments between the anterior rectus sheath and rectus abdominis
Tendinous intersections
The inguinal groove extends from the ASIS to?
Pubic tubercle
T or F: The inguinal groove is composed of the folded lateral edge of external abdominal aponeurosis
F (It is composed of the folded inferior edge)
Two planes that divide the abdomen into 4 quadrants
Median plane and transumbilical plane
Imaginary vertical line following the linea alba from the xiphoid process to pubic symphysis
Median plane
Imaginary horizontal line at the level of the umbilicus
Transumbilical plane (L3 to L4)
Planes that divide the abdomen into 9 regions
Horizontal: Transpyloric and transtubercular planes
Vertical: Right and left midclavicular planes
Level of the transpyloric plane
L1 to L2
Aside from passing thru the pylorus, the transpyloric plane traverses what structure?
Hilum of the kidney
Level of the transtubercular plane
L5
The midclavicular planes pass from the midpoint of the clavicles to the midpoint of what structure?
Inguinal ligament
T or F: The subcostal plane (L3) passes thru the lower border of the 9th costal cartilage on each side
F (It passes thru the lower border of the 10th costal cartilage)
Three lateral regions of the abdomen (from top to bottom)
Right and left hypochondriac, right and left lumbar, right and left inguinal/iliac
Three median regions of the abdomen (from top to bottom)
Epigastric, umbilical, suprapubic/hypogastric
Contents of the right hypochondriac region
Liver, gallbladder, hepatic flexure of colon
Contents of the epigastric region
Liver, transverse colon, abdominal aorta and IVC
Contents of the left hypochondriac region
Stomach, spleen, splenic flexure of colon
Contents of the right lumbar region
Ascending colon, kidney, small intestine
Contents of the umbilical region
Duodenum, pancreas, small intestine, abdominal aorta and IVC, iliac vessels
Contents of the left lumbar region
Jejunum, pancreas, descending colon, kidney
Contents of the right inguinal region
Ileum, caecum, appendix
Contents of the suprapubic region
Small intestine, rectum, bladder, uterus/spermatic cords, iliac vessels
Contents of the left inguinal region
Sigmoid colon, small intestine
Visceral pain often refers to this region
Umbilical
Pain from heartburn and ulcers refer to this region
Epigastric
Gas pain may refer to this region
Left lumbar
Layers of the anterior abdominal wall from superficial to deep
Skin, superficial fascia, deep fascia, muscles, transversalis fascia, extraperitoneal/preperitoneal/peritoneal fat, parietal peritoneum
Two layers of the superficial fascia
Camper’s fascia (superficial fatty layer) and Scarpa’s fascia (deep membranous layer)
T or F: The anterior abdominal wall is made up of 4 paired muscles
T (3 flat/horizontal muscles: External oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis; 1 vertical muscle: rectus abdominis)
Origin, insertion, and action of the external oblique
O: External surfaces of 5th to 12th ribs
I: Xiphoid process, linea alba, anterior half of iliac crest, pubic crest, pubic tubercle
A: Rotates, flexes, and laterally bends the trunk; compresses abdominal contents
The inferior border of the external oblique aponeurosis forms what structures?
Inguinal ligament, reflex inguinal ligament, lacunar ligament
Abdominal ligament that crosses the midline to attach to the opposite side
Reflex inguinal ligament
Innervation of the external oblique
T6 to T12, subcostal nerve (T12)
T or F: The external oblique participates in the formation of the superficial inguinal ring
T
What structures exit the superficial inguinal ring in males and females respectively?
Spermatic cord and round ligament
Direction of fibers of the internal oblique
Superomedial but becomes inferomedial towards the inguinal ligament
Attachments of the internal oblique
Thoracolumbar fascia, iliac crest, inguinal ligament
The internal oblique contributes to what structure medially?
Rectus sheath and linea alba
The internal oblique contributes to what structure inferiorly?
Conjoint tendon (with transversus abdominis)
Conjoint tendon arches over what structure?
Spermatic cord
Innermost flat abdominal muscle
Transversus abdominis
Direction of fibers of transversus abdominis
Horizontal
T or F: The transversus abdominis contributes medially to the conjoint tendon and inferomedially to the rectus sheath
F (Transversus abdominis contributes medially to the rectus sheath and inferomedially to the conjoint tendon)
Innervation of the transversus abdominis
T6 to T12 ventral rami
Origin of the transversus abdominis
Posteriorly from the thoracolumbar fascia
T or F: Rotation of the trunk to the left involves the contraction of the ipsilateral obliques
F (It involves the contralateral obliques)
T or F: When extending the spine, the flat abdominal muscles contract passively
T (To provide resistance to prevent the spine from snapping)
Direction of fibers of the rectus abdominis
Vertical
Contributions of the rectus abdominis medially and laterally
Linea alba and linea semilunaris respectively
Posterior margin of the rectus abdominis
Ends posteriorly as the arcuate line (inferior margin or border of the posterior rectus sheath) midway between the umbilicus and pubic symphysis
Arteries contained by the rectus abdominis
Superior and inferior epigastric a.
Innervation of the rectus abdominis
T6 to T12 ventral rami
Action of the rectus abdominis
Main trunk flexor and passive resistance against spine extension
Origin and insertion of the pyramidalis
O: Pubic crest and pubic symphysis
I: Linea alba
T or F: The pyramidalis is absent in 20% of people
T
Strong but incomplete fibrous compartment of the rectus abdominis and pyramidalis
Rectus sheath
Borders of the rectus sheath
Superior: Xiphoid process and 5th to 7th costal cartilages
Inferior: Pubic symphysis and pubic crest
Medial: Linea alba
Lateral: Linea semilunaris
Contents of the rectus sheath
Superior and inferior epigastric a. and v., lymph vessels, distal portions of the thoracoabodminal nerves (T7-T12)
Composition of the rectus sheath
Decussation and interweaving of the aponeuroses of the 3 flat muscles
Composition of the anterior rectus sheath
Aponeurosis of the external oblique and anterior lamina of superior 2/3 of internal oblique aponeurosis
Composition of the posterior rectus sheath
Aponeurosis of the transversus abdominis and posterior lamina of the superior 2/3 of the internal oblique
Inferior end of the posterior rectus sheath
Arcuate line or linea semicircularis
Clinical importance of the arcuate line
The arcuate line delineates the transversalis fasica below it, not an ideal place for stitches
Nerve supply of the anterior abdominal wall
T5 to T11 (including lateral cutaneous branches of T7-T9/T10), subcostal nerve (T12), 2 terminal branches of L1 (iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal)
Distal, abdominal parts of the ventral rami of the inferior 6 thoracic spinal nerves (T7 to T11)
Thoracoabdominal nerves
Distribution of the thoracoabdominal nerves
T7 to T9: superior to umbilicus
T10: level of umbilicus
T11 with subcostal (T12) and iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal nerves (L1): inferior to umbilicus
Innervates the suprapubic region
Iliohypogastric