Session 3 - Hernias Flashcards
Give three sites of potential weakness in the abdominal wall?
• Inguinal canal, femoral ring and umbilicus
What is the inguinal canal?
• The canal through which structures leave and enter the abdomiopelvic cavity
In which direction does the inguinal canal travel?
• Downward and medial direction
Where does the inguinal canal begin and end
- Starts at the deep inguinal ring
- Continues 4cm
Ends at superficial inguinal ring
Where does the inguinal canal lie?
• In between the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall and runs parallel and superior to the medial half of the inguinal ligament
What runs through the inguinal canal in men?
- The spermatic cord
* The ilioinguinal nerve
What runs through the inguinal canal in women?
- The round ligament of the uterus
* The iliolinguinal nerve
What is a hernia?
• A protrusion of part of the abdominal viscus through a defect in the abdominal wall
What is a hernial sac usually covered in?
- Skin
- Subcutaneous tissue
- Layers of the abdominal wall
Give three common locations of hernias
- Inguinal
- Umbilical
- Epigastric
What is a direct inguinal hernia?
• Gut protrudes into the inguinal canal through a weakened area in the transversalis fascia near the medial inguinal fossa within an anatomical region know as Hesselbach’s triangle
What are the borders of Hesselbachs triangle?
- Inferiorly - Medial half of the inguinal ligament
- Medially - Lower lateral border of rectus abdominis
- Laterally - Inferior epigastric artery
What is an indirect inguinal hernia?
• Protrudes throught he deep inguinal ring
Why do indirect inguinal hernias often occur?
• Result of the failure of embryonic closure of the deep inguinal ring after the testicle has passed through
What is an epigastric hernia?
• Hernia which occurs in the epigstric region in the midline between the xiphoid process and the umbilicus, through the linea alba
