Nerves of the Abdomen Flashcards
What are major nerves of the anterolateral abdominal wall?
The thoracoabdominal, lateral cutaneous, subcostal, iliohypogastric, and ilioinguinal nerves
What are the thoracoadminal nerves?
Derived from T7-T11 and form the inferior intercostal nerves
What are the external oblique muscles innervated by?
Thoracoabdominal nerves (T7-T11) and subcostal nerve (T12).
What are the internal obliques innervated by?
Thoracoabdominal nerves (T7-T11), subcostal nerve (T12) and branches of the lumbar plexus.
What are the transversus abdominis muscles innervated by?
Thoracoabdominal nerves (T7-T11), subcostal nerve (T12) and branches of the lumbar plexus.
What is the rectus abdominis muscle innervated by?
Thoracoabdominal nerves (T7-T11).
Where do the thoracoabdominal nerves travel?
Pass between internal obliques and transversus abdominis to sheath of rectus abdominis
What is the pyramidalis muscle innervated by?
Subcostal nerve (T12)
What can sympathetic ganglia in the thorax also be referred to as?
Paravertebral (next to vertebral column)
What can sympathetic ganglia in the abdomen also be referred to as?
Prevertebral ganglia (sympathetic ganglia which lie between the paravertebral ganglia and the target organ)
Describe route of motor sympathetic fibres in abdomen
- Leave spinal cord via ventral rootlets
- Join with sensory fibres to form mixed spinal nerve
- Jump into sympathetic chain via white ramus communicans
- Pass through chain WITHOUT SYNAPSING
- Become abdominopelvic splanchnic nerves
- They then enter the prevertebral ganglia and synapse here
- Postsynaptic fibres pass into autonomic plexuses located primarily on the abdominal aorta and its branches (coeliac, SMA, IMA)
- Postganglionic then goes on to supply target organ
What are the 2 main types of abdominopelvic splanchnic nerves?
- Lower thoracic splanchnic nerves (greater, lesser and least)
- Lumbar splanchnic nerves
Describe lower thoracic splanchnic nerves
These three nerves (greater, lesser, and least) contain the most presynaptic sympathetic fibres. They pass through the diaphragm to send fibres to the celiac, aorticorenal, and superior mesenteric ganglia and plexuses.
Name the sympathetic supply of the abdomen
The sympathetic input comes from the thoracolumbar segments of the spinal cord (thorax and upper one or two lumbar segments)
- Greater, lesser and least splanchnic nerves
- Lumbar splanchnic nerves
Where is all autonomic supply of the abdomen via?
All via autonomic plexuses around coeliac trunk, SMA, IMA then follow blood vessels to target organ
What do preganglionic fibres of the sympathetic system release? What is effect of this?
ACh which is excitatory and stimulates ganglionic neurones
What do most postganglionic fibres of the sympathetic system release?
Noradrenaline at neuroeffector junction
What is difference between preganglionic sympathetic fibres in thorax and abdomen?
Thorax: can enter the sympathetic chain, ascend/ descend, synapase and course to their target organ but SYNAPSE IN CHAIN
Abdomen: fibres pass straight through the sympathetic chain and synapse nearer the target organ but DON’T SYNAPSE IN CHAIN
Describe lumbar splanchnic nerves
These nerves start at the abdominal sympathetic trunk and produce three or four lumbar splanchnic nerves that join the intermesenteric, inferior mesenteric, and superior hypogastric plexuses.
What forms the parasympathetic supply of the abdomen?
- Vagus nerve
2. Pelvic splanchnic nerves
Describe the vagal supply of the abdomen
The parasympathetic nerves include anterior and posterior vagal trunks that are the continuations of the left and right vagus nerves
Where do the vagal trunks enter the abdomen?
T10
Where do pelvic splanchnic nerves originate?
S2 - S4
What do pelvic splanchnic nerves innervate?
Hindgut and pelvic organs (parasympathetic innervation)
What are the abdominal autonomic plexuses?
Nerve networks (parasympathetic and sympathetic) that surround the three unpaired visceral arteries. Serve the abdominal and pelvic organs.
All interconnected.
Name the abdominal autonomic plexuses
- Aortic plexus
- Coeliac plexus
- Hepatic plexus
- Renal plexus
- Superior mesenteric plexus
- Inferior mesenteric plexus
- Intermesenteric plexus
- Superior hypogastric plexus
- Right and left inferior hypogastric plexus
Describe the coeliac plexus
Complex network of nerves in the abdomen, consists of paraaortic ganglia.
Located around the root of the celiac trunk, SMA and renal artery; has a parasympathetic root that contain fibres from the vagus nerves and the sympathetic roots are the greater and lesser splanchnic nerves.
Conveys postsynaptic output (sympathetic, parasympathetic and pain innervation) to abdominal viscera.
Describe the hepatic plexus
Located around the hepatic artery and comes from the celiac plexus
Describe the renal plexus
Surround the renal arteries; formed by fibres from the celiac plexus, aortic plexus, and the least splanchnic nerve
Describe the superior mesenteric plexus
Surrounds the superior mesenteric artery; has three branches: the median branch comes from the celiac plexus, and the lateral branches come from the lesser and least splanchnic nerves
Describe the inferior mesenteric plexus
Surrounds the inferior mesenteric artery; has a medial root from the intermesenteric plexus and lateral roots from the lumbar ganglia of the sympathetic trunks
Describe the intermesenteric plexus
The part of the aortic plexus located between the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries; gives rise to the renal, testicular, ovarian, and uteric plexuses
Describe the superior hypogastric plexus
Located anterior to the bifurcation of the aorta; a continuation of the intermesenteric plexus
Describe the right and left inferior hypogastric plexus
Located on the sides of the rectum, uterine cervix, and the urinary bladder; formed by hypogastric nerves that come from the superior hypogastric plexus and receives parasympathetic fibres from the pelvic splanchnic nerves
What are the prevertebral ganglia of the abdomen associated with?
The three unpaired visceral arteries (CT, SMA, IMA)