System Urinary system Dorlands/Elsevier c_07/12211754 | Latin Capsula fibrosa renis | |
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The renal capsule is a tough fibrous layer surrounding the kidney and covered in a thick layer of perinephric adipose tissue. It provides some protection from trauma and damage.
The renal capsule relates to the other layers in the following order (moving from innermost to outermost):
- renal medulla
- renal cortex
- renal capsule
- perinephric fat (or "perirenal fat")
- renal fascia
- paranephric fat (or "pararenal fat")
- peritoneum (anteriorly), and transversalis fascia (posteriorly).
Adipose capsule
The perinephric fat may be regarded as a part of the renal capsule, called the adipose capsule of kidney.
References
Renal capsule Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA