Inguinal Region Flashcards
What does the cremaster muscle do and what innervates it?
Pulls testes close to body
Innervated by genital branch of genitofemoral nerve
What is the function of the pyramidalis muscle and what innervates it?
Pulls linea alba taught
Innervated by subcostal nerve (T12)
What is the function of Dartos muscle and what innervates it?
Wrinkles scrotum
Innervated by sympathetic nerves running from ilioinguinal and posterior scrotal nerves
What vessels are in the inguinal canal?
Testicular artery
Testicular veins
Cremaster vessels
What nerves are in the inguinal canal?
Anterior cutaneous branches of iliohypogastric (L1)
Genital branch of genitofemoral (L1-L2) - cremaster muscle
Anterior scrotal branch of ilioinguinal (L1) - down to scrotum
What are the contents of the spermatic cord?
Vas Deferens
Testicular artery
Pampiniform plexus - testicular vein network
Cremaster muscle, artery, and vein
External spematic fascia
Internal spermatic fascia
Genital branch of genitofemoral artery
What is the path of the inguinal canal?
Transversalis Fascia - Under transversus abdominus - Through internal oblique - through external oblique
How do the testes descend?
During 7th week, projection of parietal peritoneum called the processus vaginalis invaginates through body wall next to gubernaculum
Over next 7 months, testes pulled into scrotum by gubernaculum
What do the testes have to pass through when they descend?
Parietal peritoneum
Transversalis fascia
Transversus abdominus
Internal oblique
External oblique
Scarpa’s fascia
Camper’s fascia
Skin
What does the parietal peritoneum become in the spermatic cord?
Tunica vaginalis
What does the transversalis fascia become in the spermatic cord?
Deep inguinal ring and internal spermatic fascia
What does the transversus abdominus become in the spermatic cord?
Nothing!
What does the internal oblique become in the spermatic cord?
Creamsteric muscle and fascia
What does the external oblique become in the spermatic cord?
External spermatic fascia and becomes superficial inguinal ring
What does Scarpa’s fascia become in the spermatic cord?
Dartos muscle and fascia
What does Camper’s fascia become in the spermatic cord?
Nothing
What does the epidermis become in the spermatic cord?
Skin of scrotum
What is the formation of the inguinal canal in females?
Ovaries pulled down by gubernaculum but stops short of pelvic brim.
Gubernaculum becomes ovarian ligament cranially and caudally the round ligament
Cremaster muscles are few short loops of muscle around round ligament
Roung ligament in inguinal canal and labia majora
What is a direct inguinal hernia?
Passes through weakening in area of Hasselbach’s triangle - Inferior epigastric, inguinal ligament, and rectus abdominus
Runs parallel to spermatic cord but never within it
Emerges medial to inferior epigastric vessels
What is a indirect (congenital) inguinal hernia?
Emerges lateral to inferior epigastric vessels
Passes through deep ring and lies within spermatic cord
What hernia is more common in males and which is more common in females?
Males - inguinal
Females - femoral
What is a femoral hernia?
Through femoral ring and below inguinal ligament
