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Inguinal canal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| inguinal canal | |
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| Front of abdomen, showing surface markings for arteries and inguinal canal. (Inguinal canal is tube at lower left.) | |
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| The scrotum. On the left side the cavity of the tunica vaginalis has been opened; on the right side only the layers superficial to the Cremaster have been removed. (Right inguinal canal visible at upper left.) | |
| Latin | canalis inguinalis |
| Gray's | subject #258 1239 |
| MeSH | Inguinal+Canal |
The inguinal canal is a passage in the anterior (toward the front of the body) abdominal wall which in men conveys the spermatic cord and in women the round ligament. The inguinal canal is larger and more prominent in men.
Contents |
it is situated just above the medial half of the inguinal ligament .
1 and half inches.
it is directed downwards , forwards and medially .
| superior wall (roof): internal oblique transversus abdominis |
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| anterior wall: aponeurosis of external oblique aponeurosis of internal oblique |
(inguinal canal) | posterior wall: transversalis fascia conjoint tendon |
| inferior wall (floor): inguinal ligament lacunar ligament |
One way to remember these structures is with the mnemonic "MALT", starting at the top and going counterclockwise:
- M - muscles
- A - aponeuroses
- L - ligaments
- T - transversalis/tendon
- in males : the spermatic cord and its coverings + the ilio inguinal nerve .
- in females : the round ligament of the uterus + the ilio inguinal nerve .
During development in men the testes descend from their starting point near the kidneys down the abdomen and through the inguinal canal to reach the scrotum.
The inguinal canal in women seldom leads to medical problems owing to its small size. In men, an inguinal hernia may occur, in which abdominal contents (usually the intestine) push through the canal's opening.
These may be direct or indirect, depending upon whether the contents impinge directly through the abdominal wall, or course through the length of the canal, respectively.
 The spermatic cord in the inguinal canal. |
- SUNY Labs 36:01-0102
- Atlas of anatomy at UMich abdo_wall63 - "The Male & Female Inguinal Canal"
- Diagram at nurseminerva.co.uk
