Anterolateral Abdominal Wall Flashcards
What are the quadrants of the abdomen?
Top: R. Hypochondriac (RH), epigastric (E), LH
Middle: R. Lumbar (RL), Umbilical (U), LL
Bottom: R. Iliac (RI), hypogastric (P), Left Iliac (LI)
What are the layers of the anterior abdominal wall from superficial to deep?
- Skin
- Subcutaneous tissue of superficial fascia
- External oblique
- Internal oblique
- Fascia of both superficial an deep surfaces of the internal oblique
- Transverse abdominal m.
- Transversalis fascia
- Extraperitoneal fat
- Peritoneum
What are the layers covering the testis?
- Skin
- Subcutaneous tissue (dartos fascia) and dartos muscle
- External spermatic fascia
- Cremaster muscle
- Cremasteric fascia
- Internal spermatic fascia
- Tunica vaginalis : parietal and visceral layer
What are the layers of the spermatic cord?
- Scrotum (and scrotal septum)
- External spermatic fascia
- Cremasteric muscle
- Cremasteric fascia
- Internal spermatic fascia
- Vestige of precessus vaginalis
Skin incision made over what lines heal with a minimum of scarring?
Tension lines. They are also called cleavage or Langer’s lines
What are the two layer of the superficial fascia (subcutaneous tissue)?
Camper’s fascia (superficial fatty layer)
Scarpa’s fascia (deep membranous layer)
What does the deep investing fascia cover?
What’s it also called?
Each muscle and its aponeurosis separately and superficially.
Epimysium or Gallaudet’s fascia
What is the transversalis fascia?
A thin aponeurotica membrane which lies between the inner surface of the transversus abdominus muscle and endoabdominal fascia
What is the endo-abdominal fascia or extr-peritoneal fat layer?
A membranous sheet of varying thickness covering internal aspects of the transversalis fascia. It has parietal and visceral components (prominent in the posterior abdominal wall, especially around the kidneys)
What is the largest of the serous membrane of the body? (It has a parietal and visceral part)
The peritoneum
What covers the entire abdomen extending from the inferior half of the thorax and is dependent on
hormonal influence with differences in both sexes?
Campers fascia (superficial layer of the superficial fascia or fatty layer)
What fascia continues over the inguinal ligament as the superficial fascia of the thigh, and over the pubis and
perineum as the subcutaneous fascia of perineum or Cruveilhier fascia?
Campers fascia
What fascia attaches to the fascia lata of the thigh about one inch below the inguinal ligament ?
Scarpa’s fascia
Scarpa’s fascia continues over the pubis & perineum as ____ or deep layer of the superficial fascia of the
perineum.
Colle’s fascia
What fascia continues over the penis in males as the superficial fascia of the penis and scrotum as part of Dartos fascia (Dartos tunic); and contains smooth muscle (one of the components of the Cremasteric reflex which will be discussed in male genital system).
Scarpa’s fascia
What does the deep fascia of Gallaudet consist of?
Of inner and outer investing fascia layers.
Note: The inner investing layer is well formed, whereas the outer layer is thin.
What are the flat muscles of the abdominal wall?
External oblique, internal oblique and tranversus abdominis
What are the longitudinal muscles of the abdominal wall?
Rectus abdominis and pyramidalis
What’s the insertion and origin of the external oblique muscle?
Origin: Anterior surface of ribs 5th - 12th (inferior 8 ribs)
Insertion: Iliac Crest where the aponeuroses of all flat abdominal muscles are commonly inserted
posterolaterally and linea alba anteriorly,
Where does the aponeurosis of the external oblique lie?
Between the mid-clavicular line and the abdominal midline
What is the linea alba (white line)?
Line in the midline
What happens to the linea alba during pregnancy?
Turns dark (“linea nigra”) during pregnancy due to progesterone.
What is the inguinal ligament?
The lower border of the tendinosas part (of external oblique) folds inward to form the inguinal ligament (Poupart’s ligament)
It is attached between the ASÍS and the pubic tubercle
What continues inferiorly into the scrotum surrounding the spermatic cord as the external spermatic
fascia.
Inguinal ligament
What is the innervation and action of the external oblique?
Innervation: thoracoabdominal nerves (ventral primary rami of T7 – 12 nerves)
Actions: flexion, lateral rotation and increase in intra-abdominal pressure.
What muscle joins to form the rectus sheath, linea alba, inguinal ligament, superficial inguinal ring and external spermatic fascia.
external oblique
What direction do the internal oblique muscles rune?
Perpendicular to the external oblique muscles
What is the origin and insertion of the internal obliques?
Origin: Thoraco-lumbar fascia, anterior 2/3 of iliac crest, and inguinal ligament
(Shares the aponeurosis and linea alba with all anterolateral muscles)
Insertion: Inferior borders of 10th - 12th ribs, linea alba, and pecten pubis via the conjoint tendon
What forms the conjoint tendon?
the conjoint tendon is formed by the tendons of the internal oblique and transverse abdominis muscles
What is the innervation and action of the internal oblique muscle?
Innervation – Ventral primary rami of T7-T12 and L1 nerves (Ilioinguinal & Iliohypogastic nerves)
Actions: same as External oblique
What does the internal oblique continue as?
The cremasteric fascia and muscle
What is the cremasteric muscle formed by?
The lowermost fascicles of the internal oblique muscle, arising from lateral portion of the inguinal ligament
What is the innervation of the cremasteric muscle?
The genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve
What is the innermost layer of the anterolateral abdominal muscles ?
Transversus abdominis muscle
Fibers of what muscle run almost horizontally with the exception of the most inferior fibers which run
inferiorly together with the internal oblique muscle to form the conjoint tendon
Transversus abdominus muscle
What is the origin and insertion of the transversus abdominis muscle?
Origin: Internal surfaces of the 7th - 12th ribs/costal cartilages, thoraco-lumbar fascia, iliac crest, and
inguinal ligament
Insertion: Linea alba (with aponeurosis of EO & IO), pubic crest, and pecten pubis via conjoint tendon
What is the innervation and action of the tranversus abdominis?
Innervation: same as IO {Ventral primary rami of T7-T12 and L1 nerves (Ilioinguinal & Iliohypogastic
nerves)}
Actions: same as External oblique
What is the function of the rectus abdominus?
Flexión of the lumbar spine and rotation of the trunk
Origin and insertion of the rectus abdominus ?
Origin: Pubic symphysis and pubic crest
Insertion: Xyphoid process and 5th - 7th costal cartilages
How does crossing over of the rectus abdominis work?
Origin: Pubic symphysis and pubic crest
Insertion: Xyphoid process and 5th - 7th costal cartilages
Where do spigelian hernias occur?
Where the linea semilunaris meets the linea semicircularis
What is the linea semilunaris?
A curved line along the lateral border of the RA
What is the innervation of the RA?
Ventral primary rami of t7-t12