Inguinal canal

inguinal canal
Front of abdomen, showing surface markings for arteries and inguinal canal. (Inguinal canal is tube at lower left.)
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.

Site

The inguinal canal is situated just above the medial half of the inguinal ligament.

Length

Approximately 1.5 inches.

Direction

It is directed downwards, forwards and medially.

Boundaries

	superior wall (roof): internal oblique transversus abdominis
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

Contents

• in males : the spermatic cord and its coverings + the ilio inguinal nerve.
• in females : the round ligament of the uterus + the ilio inguinal nerve.

Development

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.

Disorders

Abdominal contents (potentially including intestine) can be abnormally displaced from the abdominal cavity. Where these contents exit through the inguinal canal the condition is known as an indirect inguinal hernia. This condition is far more common in men than in women, owing to the inguinal canal's small size in women. A hernia that exits the abdominal cavity directly through the deep layers of the abdominal wall, thereby bypassing the inguinal canal, is known as a direct inguinal hernia.

Additional images

• 

  The spermatic cord in the inguinal canal.

See also

• Superficial inguinal ring
• Deep inguinal ring

External links

• SUNY Labs 36:01-0102
• Atlas of anatomy at UMich abdo_wall63 - "The Male & Female Inguinal Canal"
• Diagram at nurseminerva.co.ukde:Leistenkanal