Anterior Abdominal Wall I

Front 1

What is included in the the abdominal contents?

Back 1

Peritoneal cavity
GI organs and associated glands
Kidneys, ureters, and suprarenal glands
Nerves, lymphatics, and blood vessels

Front 2

What are the bony landmarks for the anterior abdominal wall?

Back 2

Xiphoid process
Costal margins
Ilium - crest, ASIS, tubercle of iliac crest
Pubis - tubercle, symphysis, crest

Front 3

What is the pelvic inlet (linea terminalis)?

Back 3

A line that separates the true pelvis from the false pelvis

Front 4

What is located superior to the linea terminalis?

Back 4

Abdomen or false pelvis

Front 5

What is located inferior to the linea terminalis?

Back 5

Pelvis or true pelvis

Front 6

What three structures form the pelvic inlet?

Back 6

Pectin pubis
Arcuate line of the ilium
Sacral promontory

Front 7

What is the linea semilunaris?

Back 7

Lateral border of the rectus abdominis muscle

Front 8

What is the linea alba?

Back 8

Midline

Front 9

What is the umbilicus?

Back 9

Navel

Front 10

What are the landmarks for the subcostal plane?

Back 10

10th costal cartilage
Superior border of 3rd lumbar vertebra

Front 11

What are the landmarks for the transtubercular plane?

Back 11

Tubercles of the iliac crests
Body of 5th lumbar vertebra

Front 12

What are the landmarks for the transumbilical plane?

Back 12

Lumbar vertebrae 3-4 (different from person to person)
Similar to supracristal plane

Front 13

What are the landmarks for the transpyloric plane?

Back 13

Half way between jugular notch and pubic symphysis
Body of 1st lumbar vertebra
Passes through pyloric sphincter

Front 14

What are the landmarks for the midclavicular plane and the midsagittal (median) plane?

Back 14

Midclavicular: midpoint of clavicle, midinguinal point

Midsagittal: linea alba, passes through umbilicus

Front 15

What are some of the contents of the right upper quadrant?

Back 15

Gallbladder
Duodenum
Right pleura
Liver (right lobe)
Right kidney

Front 16

What are some of the contents of the left upper quadrant?

Back 16

Spleen
Stomach
Left pleura
Tail of the pancreas
Left kidney

Front 17

What are some of the contents of the right lower quadrant?

Back 17

Right ureter
Cecum
Ilial diverticulum
Vermiform appendix

Front 18

What are some of the contents of the left lower quadrant?

Back 18

Left ureter
Descending and sigmoid colon

Front 19

What are the nine abdominal regions?

Back 19

Right hypochondriac
Left hypochondriac
Epigastric
Right lumbar (lateral)
Left lumbar (lateral)
Umbilical
Right inguinal (iliac)
Left inguinal (iliac)
Hypogastric

Front 20

What are the three groups of abdominal muscles and which muscles are included in each?

Back 20

1. Anterior: rectus abdominis, sometimes pyramidalis
2. Anterolateral: external and internal abdominal oblique, transversus abdominis
3. Posterior: iliacus, psoas major and minor, quadratus lumborum

Front 21

Where is McBurney's point?

Back 21

1/3 of distance between umbilicus and anterior superior iliac spine

Corresponds with appendix

Front 22

Which way do the fibers run on the external abdominal oblique muscle?

Back 22

Inferiomedially

Front 23

T/F: The external abdominal oblique muscle has a narrow aponeurosis.

Back 23

False

Wide aponeuroses which begins at midclavicular lines

Front 24

What is the inguinal ligament and what are its attachment sites?

Back 24

A specialized part of the lower free margin of the external abdominal oblique aponeurosis

Attaches at ASIS and pubic tubercles

Front 25

What is the superficial inguinal ring?

Back 25

Triangular opening in the aponeurosis of the external oblique between the pubic tubercle and the pubic symphysis

Front 26

What is the lacunar ligament and why is it clinically significant?

Back 26

An "extension" of the inguinal ligament
Triangular in shape
Apex at pubic tubercle
Base is concave, lateral, and sharp

Significant because its sharp free edge cuts into the femoral canal which enlarges with a femoral hernia

Front 27

What is the pectineal ligament?

Back 27

The lateral-posterior extension of the lacunar ligament that runs along the pectineal line

It can also form a sharp border that can constrict a femoral hernia

Front 28

Which way to the fibers run on the internal abdominal oblique muscle?

Back 28

Superomedially and horizontally to join the muscle from the opposite side

Usually perpendicular to external oblique fibers
Broad aponeurosis

Front 29

What tendon does the internal oblique help to form?

Back 29

Conjoint tendon (falx inguinalis)

Front 30

Where does the cremaster muscle come from?

Back 30

Internal oblique layer

Front 31

Describe the transversus abdominis muscle?

Back 31

Innermost of the 3 layers
Wide aponeurosis begins at about the linea semilunaris
Fibers run horizontally
Medially, forms conjoint tendon with internal oblique
Nerves and vessels run between internal oblique and transversus abdominis

Front 32

Describe the rectus abdominis muscles?

Back 32

Strap muscles (pair)
Broad superiorly, narrow inferiorly
Tendinous intersections (perpendicular to fibers)
Enclosed by rectus sheath

Front 33

What is pyramidalis?

Back 33

Also in rectus sheath
Attaches to the pubic crest
Tenses linea alba

Absent in 8-10% of pop. on one or both sides

Front 34

What are the actions of the anterior abdominal wall muscles?

Back 34

1. Anteriorly flex the trunk
2. Laterally flex the trunk
3. Rotate the trunk

Front 35

When are the anterior abdominal wall muscles used?

Back 35

1. Assist in respiration
2. Important in Valsalva maneuver
3. Also act during coughing, sneezing, urination, defecation, vomiting, and parturition (child birth)