Legend of the inguinal canal model (canalis inguinalis)

1. external oblique muscle
2. anterior superior iliac spine
3. lateral femoral cutaneous nerve
4. inguinal ligament (Pouparti, Vesalii, Falloppii)
5. iliopsoas muscle
6. femoral nerve
7. iliopectineal arch
8. femoral branch of genitofemoral nerve
9. femoral artery
10. femoral vein
11. pectineal ligament (Cooperi)
12. deep inguinal lymph nodes (proximal node Cloqueti, Rosenmülleri)
13. lacunar ligament (Gimbernati)
14. posterior attachment of linea alba (adminiculum lineae albae)
15. reflected ligament (Collesi)
16. medial crus
17. lateral crus
18. intercrural fibres
19. linea alba
20. umbilical ring (anulus umbilicalis)
21. internal oblique muscle
22. inguinal falx = conjoint tendon (falx inguinalis = tendo conjunctivus) (Henlei)
23. interfoveolar ligament (Hesselbachi)
24. tendinous intersections
25. transversus abdominis muscle
26. rectus abdominis muscle
27. arcuate line (Douglasi)
28. linea semilunaris (Spiegheli)
29. inferior epigastric vessels
30. vascular space (lacuna vasorum) – separated by femoral septum
31. muscular space (lacuna musculorum)

- superficial inguinal ring (anulus inguinalis superficialis) – exit of inguinal canal

- deep inguinal ring (anulus inguinalis profundus) – entry of inginal canal

- rectus sheath

- supravesical fossa

- medial inguinal fossa

- inguinal triangle (Hesselbachi)

- lateral inguinal fossa

- median umbilical fold (raised by chorda urachi)

- chorda urachi (remnant of urachus, process of allantois to urinary bladder)

- medial umbilical fold (raised by cord of umbilical artery)

- cord of umbilical artery

- lateral umbilical fold (raised by inferior epigastric vessels)

- Camper´s layer  (= panniculus adiposus abdominis)

- subcutaneous abdominal fascia Scarpae (= stratum membranosum abdominis)

- superficial abdominal fascia

- transversalis fascia

- peritoneum (parietal, visceral)

- iliopubic tract (Thomsoni)

 

 

Inguinal canal (Canalis inguinalis)

4 - 5 cm long cleft slanting ventromediocaudally through ventral abdominal wall

 

Borders:

- cranialy: caudal borders of internal oblique and transvesus abdominis muscles (falx inguinalis)

- caudaly: inguinal ligament (Falloppii, Pouparti, Vesalii)

- ventraly: aponeurosis of external oblique muscle

- dorsaly: transversalis fascia

- beginning: deep inguinal ring (= anulus inguinalis superficialis) - lig. interfoveolare, falx inguinalis

- end: superficial inguinal ring (= anulus inguinalis superficialis) - medial and lateral crus, intercrural fibres

 

Content:

- ilioinguinal nerve

- genital branch of genitofemoral nerve

- remnant of vaginal process

- cremasteric artery / artery of uterine teres ligament

- lymphatic vessels

- female: uterine teres ligament

- male: ductus deferens

• testicular artery
• artery  to ductus deferens
• pampiniform plexus
• deferential and testicular plexuses

 

Herniae

direct inguinal hernia

- passes through inguinal triangle (Hesselbachi) and superficial inguinal ring

indirect inguinal hernia

- passes through deep and superficial inguinal rings, it means through the whole canal

supravesical hernia

- passes through supravesical fossa and superficial inguinal ring

femoral hernia

- passes through vascular space

further herniae: through linea alba, linea semilunaris, linea arcuata, trigonum sternocostale, trigonum lumbocostale, hiatus oesophageus ("hiatal hernia"), foramen suprapiriforme, foramen infrapiriforme, trigonum lumbale superius et inferius...