INTRODUCTION TO ABDOMEN:(ABDOMOINAL REGIONS,
QUADRANT WALLS, CAVITIES, REGIONS, PLANES)
ANTEROLATERAL ABDOMINAL WALL: (MUSCLES, FASCIA,
NEUROVASCULATURE)
COURSE LECTURER: OVIOSUN,AUGUSTINE
Department of Anatomy
Edo State University, Uzairue.
18th Feb, 2022
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LEARNING OUTCOME
• At the end of the lecture , students should be able:
• Identify and describe abdominal regions and quadrants, state the various
viscera in each region / quadrant.
• To explain the gross anatomy of anterolateral abdominal wall: ( muscles,
fascia, Neurovasculature) of the abdomen)
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OUTLINE
• Introduction
• Abdominal quadrant
• Abdominal regions
• Anterolateral abdominal wall
• Muscles
• fascia
• Neurovasculature
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INTRODUCTION
• The abdomen is the part of the trunk
between the thorax and the pelvis
• . It is a flexible, dynamic container, housing
most of the organs of the alimentary
system and part of the urogenital system.
• Containment of the abdominal organs and
their contents is provided by musculo-
aponeurotic walls anterolaterally, the
diaphragm superiorly, and the muscles of
the pelvis inferiorly.
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The abdominal cavity:
• Forms the superior and major part of the
abdominopelvic cavity, the continuous cavity that
extends between the thoracic diaphragm and pelvic
diaphragm.
• has no floor of its own because it is continuous with the
pelvic cavity.
• The plane of the pelvic inlet (superior pelvic aperture)
arbitrarily, but not physically, separates the abdominal
and the pelvic cavities.
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The abdominal cavity:Boundaries
• • Extends superiorly into the osseocartilaginous thoracic
cage to the 4th intercostal space ,Consequently, the more
superiorly placed abdominal organs (spleen, liver, part of
the kidneys, and stomach) are protected by the thoracic
cage.
• The greater pelvis (expanded part of the pelvis superior to
the pelvic inlet) supports and partly protects the lower
abdominal viscera (part of the ileum, cecum, appendix, and
sigmoid colon).
• • is the location of most digestive organs, parts of the
urogenital system (kidneys and most of the ureters), and
the spleen
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ABDOMINAL REGIONS
• Nine regions of the abdominal cavity
are used to describe the location of
abdominal organs, pains, or
pathologies
• The regions are delineated by four
planes: two sagittal (vertical) and two
transverse (horizontal) planes.
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ABDOMINAL QUADRANT
• Dividing the abdomen into
quadrants allows anatomists,
medical personnel, and students
alike to more easily study the
abdominal region.
• The four quadrants are:
• he Right Upper Quadrant, or RUQ
• The Right Lower Quadrant, or RLQ
• The Left Upper Quadrant, or LUQ
• and the Left Lower Quadrant, or
the LLQ
ABDOMINAL QUADRANT
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ABDOMINAL WALLS
• Although the abdominal wall is continuous, it is
subdivided into the anterior wall, right and left
lateral walls, and posterior wall for descriptive
purposes
• The wall is musculo-aponeurotic, except for
the posterior wall, which includes the lumbar
region of the vertebral column.
• The boundary between the anterior and lateral
walls is indefinite, therefore the term
anterolateral abdominal wall is often used.
• Some structures, such as muscles and
cutaneous nerves, are in both the anterior and
lateral walls. The anterolateral abdominal wall
extends from the thoracic cage to the pelvis. 12
BOUNDARY OF THE ANTEROLATERAL WALL
OF THE ABDOMEN
• The anterolateral abdominal wall is
bounded
• superiorly by the cartilages of the 7th–
10th ribs and the xiphoid process of the
sternum,
• inferiorly by the inguinal ligament and
the
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CONTENT OF ANTEROLATERAL ABDOMINAL
WALL
• The anterolateral abdominal wall consists of
• Skin
• subcutaneous tissue (superficial fascia) composed mainly of fat
• Muscles and their aponeuroses and deep fascia
• Extraperitoneal fat,
• Peritoneum.
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FASCIA
• Two layers:
• the superficial fatty layer (Camper
fascia)
• the deep membranous layer (Scarpa
fascia) of subcutaneous tissue
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Anterolateral abdominal muscles
• There are five (bilaterally paired) muscles in
the anterolateral abdominal wall: three flat
muscles and two vertical muscles
• The three flat muscles are:
• the external oblique,
• internal oblique,
• transversus abdominis.
• Vertical muscles: RECTUS ABDOMINIS
MUSCLE, PYRAMIDALIS
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EXTERNAL OBLIQUE MUSCLE
• The external oblique muscle is the largest and most
superficial of the three flat anterolateral abdominal
muscles
• The fleshy part of the muscle contributes primarily to the
lateral part of the abdominal wall. Its aponeurosis
contributes to the anterior part of the wall
• Origin :External surfaces of 5th– 12th ribs
• Insertion: Linea alba, pubic tubercle, and anterior half of
iliac crest
• Innervation: Thoraco-abdominal nerves (T7–T11 spinal
nerves) and subcostal nerve
• Action: Compresses and supports abdominal viscera,b fl
exes and rotates trunk
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INTERNAL OBLIQUE MUSCLE
• The intermediate of the three flat abdominal
muscles, the internal oblique is a thin
muscular sheet that fans out anteromedially.
• Except for its lowermost fibers, which arise
from the lateral half of the inguinal ligament,
its fleshy fibers run perpendicular to those
of the external oblique, running
superomedially (like your fingers when the
hand is placed over your chest).
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INTERNAL OBLIQUE MUSCLE
• Origin: Thoracolumbar fascia, anterior two thirds of iliac
crest, and connective tissue deep to lateral third of
inguinal ligament
• Insertion: Inferior borders of 10th– 12th ribs, linea alba,
and pecten pubis via conjoint tendon
• Innervation: Thoraco-abdominal nerves (anterior rami of
T6–T12 spinal nerves) and first lumbar nerves
• Action: Compresses and supports abdominal
viscera,flexes and rotates trunk
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TRANSVERSUS ABDOMINIS MUSCLE
• The fibers of the transversus abdominis, the
innermost of the three flat abdominal muscles
run more or less transversally, except for the
inferior ones, which run parallel to those of the
internal oblique.
• This transverse, circumferential orientation is
ideal for compressing the abdominal contents,
increasing intra-abdominal pressure.
• The fibers of the transversus abdominis muscle
also end in an aponeurosis, which contributes to
the formation of the rectus sheath
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TRANSVERSUS ABDOMINIS MUSCLE
• Origin:” Internal surfaces of 7th– 12th costal
cartilages, thoracolumbar fascia, iliac crest, and
connective tissue deep to lateral third of inguinal
ligament
Insertion: Linea alba with aponeurosis of internal
oblique, pubic crest, and pecten pubis via conjoint
tendon
Innervation: Thoraco-abdominal nerves (anterior rami
of T6–T12 spinal nerves) and fi rst lumbar nerves
Action: Compresses and supports abdominal viscera
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RECTUS ABDOMINIS MUSCLE
• A long, broad, strap-like muscle, the rectus
abdominis (L. rectus, straight) is the principal
vertical muscle of the anterior abdominal wall
• The paired rectus muscles, separated by the
linea alba, lie close together inferiorly.
• The rectus abdominis is three times as wide
superiorly as inferiorly; it is broad and thin
superiorly and narrow and thick inferiorly.
• Most of the rectus abdominis is enclosed in
the rectus sheath.
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RECTUS ABDOMINIS MUSCLE
• Origin: Pubic symphysis and pubic crest
• Insertion: Xiphoid process and 5th– 7th
costal cartilages
• Innervation: Thoraco-abdominal nerves
(anterior rami of T6–T12 spinal nerves)
• Action: Flexes trunk (lumbar vertebrae)
and compresses abdominal viscera;b
stabilizes and controls tilt of pelvis
(antilordosis)
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PYRAMIDALIS
• The pyramidalis is a small, insignificant triangular
muscle that is absent in approximately 20% of
people.
• It lies anterior to the inferior part of the rectus
abdominis and attaches to the anterior surface of
the pubis and the anterior pubic ligament.
• It ends in the linea alba, which is especially
thickened for a variable distance superior to the
pubic symphysis.
• The pyramidalis tenses the linea alba. When
present, surgeons use the attachment of the
pyramidalis to the linea alba as a landmark for
median abdominal incision
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LINEA ALBA
• The linea alba (Latin for white line) is a single
midline fibrous line in the anterior abdominal
wall
It attaches to the xiphoid process of the sternum
and the pubic symphysis.
linea alba is a tendinous raphé in the middle line of
the abdomen, stretching between the xiphoid
process and the symphysis
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FUNCTIONS AND ACTIONS OF
ANTEROLATERAL ABDOMINAL MUSCLES
• The muscles of the anterolateral abdominal wall:
• • Form a strong expandable support for the anterolateral abdominal wall.
• • Support the abdominal viscera and protect them from most injuries.
• • Compress the abdominal contents to maintain or increase the intra-abdominal
pressure and, in so doing, oppose the diaphragm (increased intra-abdominal pressure
facilitates expulsion).
• Move the trunk and help to maintain posture
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NERVES OF ANTEROLATERAL ABDOMINAL
WALL
• The skin and muscles of the
anterolateral abdominal wall are
supplied mainly by the following
nerves:
• Thoraco-abdominal nerves:
• Lateral (thoracic) cutaneous branches
• Subcostal nerve
• • Iliohypogastric and ilio-inguinal
nerves:
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BLOOD VESSELS OF THE ANTEROLATERAL ABDOMINAL
WALL
• The primary blood vessels (arteries and veins) of the antero lateral abdominal
wall are the
• • Superior epigastric vessels and branches of the musculophrenic vessels from
the internal thoracic vessels.
• • Inferior epigastric and deep circumflex iliac vessels from the external iliac
vessels.
• • Superficial circumflex iliac and superficial epigastric vessels from the femoral
artery and greater saphenous vein, respectively.
• • Posterior intercostal vessels of the 11th intercostal space and the anterior
branches of subcostal vessels
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Clinical correlates
• Lipusuction:
• Liposuction is a surgical procedure
that uses a suction technique to
remove fat from specific areas of the
body, such as the abdomen, hips,
thighs, buttocks, arms or neck
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Abdominal incision
• An abdominal incision is a cut
made through your skin on the
abdomen to expose the
abdominal organs or to facilitate
an operation or a procedure
Abdominal hernia
• A hernia of the abdominal wall
is a protrusion of the abdominal
contents through an acquired or
congenital area of weakness or
defect in the wall.
STUDY ASSIGNMENT
• With a diagram , show anatomical regions and quadrant , enumerate
organs in each region and quadrant of the abdomen
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