Ureter Flashcards
Beginning, course, and end
- Retroperitoneal tubular muscular structure
- Begins in renal sinus by funnel shaped pelvis of ureter (renal pelvis)
- Pelvis of ureter is partly inside renal sinus and partly outside it where it descends along kidney medial border
- Reach its lower pole (pelvic-uretic junction at level of L2 transverse process tip)
- Become ureter proper which ends at superior lateral angle of urinary bladder trigone
Size
10 inches long
6 mm in diameter
Site
Upper half lies in abdomen while lower half in pelvis
Abdominal part
Descends vertically and medial on posterior abdominal wall opposite transverse process tips (L2-L5) vertebrae
Abdominal part includes
- Right renal pelvis
- Left renal pelvis
- Right ureter
- Left ureter
Right and left renal pelvis: anterior and posterior
- Anterior: renal vessels
- Posterior: Psoas major
Right renal pelvis: anterior
Duodenum 2nd part
Left renal pelvis: anterior
Pancreas body
Right and left ureters: posterior
- Medial border of Psoas major and Psoas minor
- Transverse processes tips L2-L5 vertebrae
- Genitofemoral nerve
Right and left ureters: anterior
Peritoneum of posterior abdominal wall
Right ureter: anterior
- Duodenum 3rd part
- Right colic artery
- Ileocolic artery
- Right gonadal artery
- Root of mesentery and superior mesenteric vessels
- Small intestine loops
Right ureter: medial
IVC
Left ureter: anterior
- Upper and lower left colic arteries
- Left gonadal artery
- Sigmoid colon and mesocolon apex (where it crosses in front of left common iliac bifurcation)
Left ureter: medial
Inferior mesenteric vein
Constrictions
- Pelvic uretic junction
- Where it crosses common iliac artery bifurcation
- At ischeal spine
- Intramural part and ureteric orifice
Blood supply
- Aorta
- Renal artery
- Gonadal artery
- Common and internal iliac arteries
- Inferior vesicle artery in male or uterine artery in female
Nerve supply
From renal, aortic, superior and inferior hypogastric plexuses, which are derived from lower 3 thoracic, 1st lumbar, and 2nd to 4th sacral segments
Surface anatomy
- Anterior surface marking
- Posterior surface marking
Anterior surface marking
Line drawn from point on Transpyloric plane 2 inches from middle line to pubic tubercle
Posterior surface marking
Line on back from point 2 inches from middle line at L1 spine level to posterior superior iliac spine (indicated by skin dimple)
