#inguinal region

[anatomypt]

Today I used props and students to animate the anterior abdominal wall and inguinal hernias

[thats-a-spicy-meatball]

This is a really good video to understand the Inguinal Region.

[anatomypt]

Inguinal triangle/ Hasselbach's triangle

The inguinal canal and triangle are sometimes a complicated region to study.  I believe if you understand a few simple things, it can be less ominous.  Building from the inside out..... the peritoneum is the deepest layer.  Sitting on top of that is the transversalis fascia.  On top of all this lies the rectus abdominus in the midline of the abdomen- the lateral edge of this muscle is one border of the inguinal triangle.  The inferior epigastric neurovascular bundle arises from the external iliac and traverses superiorly at an angle towards the underbelly of the rectus abdominus - that is the hypotenuse of the triangle. The base of the triangle is the inguinal ligament.  This triangle sits just behind the superficial inguinal ring.  Simply put, if a hernia exits within this triangle it is going DIRECTLY out from the abdomen through the superficial ring and it is called a DIRECT inguinal hernia.  If a hernia skirts laterally around the inferior epigastrics to exit through the inguinal canal - it is an INDIRECT inguinal hernia. Clinically this is called Hasselbach's triangle.

Continuing on building this inguinal region, the next two mid and lateral layers are the transversus abdominus and internal oblique muscles.  At the inguinal region, these two muscles fuse and form a conjoint tendon that sits just within the triangle and posterior to the superficial ring -  trying to protect the region from a direct hernia.  The most superficial layer is the external oblique which creates the inguinal ligament and the superficial ring with its crura and lacunar ligaments.