Dorlands
/Elsevier a_50/12143730 FMA 19927 | TA A04.5.01.021 | |
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Latin Anulus inguinalis profundus | ||
The deep inguinal ring (internal or deep abdominal ring, abdominal inguinal ring, internal inguinal ring) is the entrance to the inguinal canal.
Contents
Location
The surface marking of the deep inguinal ring is classically described as half an inch above the midpoint of the inguinal ligament .
However, the surface anatomy of the point is disputed. In a recent study it was found to be in a region between the mid-inguinal point (situated midway between the anterior superior iliac spine and the pubic symphysis) and the midpoint of the inguinal ligament (i.e. midway between the anterior superior iliac spine and the pubic tubercle). Traditionally, either one of these 2 sites was claimed as its location. However, this claim is based upon the study's dissection of 52 cadavers, and may not reflect the live in vivo anatomy.
Some sources state that it is at the layer of the transversalis fascia.
Shape
It is of an oval form, the long axis of the oval being vertical; it varies in size in different subjects, and is much larger in the male than in the female.
Boundaries
It is bounded, above and laterally, by the arched lower margin of the transversalis fascia; below and medially, by the inferior epigastric vessels.
Transmission
It transmits the spermatic cord in the male and the round ligament of the uterus in the female.
Extensions
From its circumference a thin funnel-shaped membrane, the infundibuliform fascia, is continued around the cord and testis, enclosing them in a distinct covering.