THE ABDOMEN 653 



Gimbernat's ligament is the reflection of Poupart's ligament 

 from the pubic spine along the ilio-pectineal line. Its. length 

 is fully I inch, and it is triangular, the apex being at the pubic 

 spine. It presents three borders and two surfaces. Two of the 

 borders are fixed, one, called the Pou-part border, being continuous 

 wdth the inner end of Poupart's ligament, and the other, called the 

 pectineal border, being implanted on the pectineal portion of the 

 ilio-pectineal line. The third border is free, and is called the base. 

 It is sharp, wiry, and concave, and is situated immediately to the 

 inner side of the crural or femoral ring. The surfaces of the ligament 

 are femoral and abdominal. They occupy an oblique plane, the 

 femoral surface looking downwards, forwards, and slightly out- 

 wards, whilst the abdominal surface looks upwards, back\vards, 

 and slightly inwards. This latter surface, along its line of junction 

 with Poupart's ligament, forms the floor of the inguinal canal in 

 its lower third, where it supports the spermatic cord in the male, 

 and the round ligament of the uterus in the female. The fascia 

 transversalis takes attachment to the base of the ligament on its 

 abdominal aspect, and the conjoined tendon and fascia transversalis 

 are behind it at the ilio-pectineal line. A few of the fibres of the 

 superior cornu of the saphenous opening terminate on the femoral 

 surface of the ligament, and the pectineus muscle and pubic lamina 

 of the fascia lata are in front of its pectineal attachment. 



The triangular fascia, also known as the ligament of CoUes, is 

 situated behind the spermatic cord and internal pillar of the 

 external abdominal ring. Its fibres are derived from the external 

 oblique aponeurosis of the opposite side, and, having crossed the 

 linea alba, they take insertion into the pubic spine and crest. A 

 portion of the fascia is seen Ipng in the lower and inner part of 

 the external abdominal ring. 



The external abdominal ring is an opening in the aponeurosis of 

 the external oblique, and it is situated immediately above, and to 

 the outer side of, the pubic spine. It serves for the passage of 

 the spermatic cord in the male, and the round ligament of the 

 uterus in the female. In the natural condition no opening is per- 

 ceptible, the intercolumnar fibres rounding it off, and being pro- 

 longed downwards upon the transmitted structure. When the 

 intercoliunnar fibres and fascia have been removed, the ring is 

 seen to be formed in the following manner : the fibres of the 

 external oblique aponeurosis, as they approach the os pubis, are 

 disposed in two diverging bundles. One bimdle, which repre- 

 sents the inner end of Poupart's ligament, is fixed to the pubic 

 spine. The other bundle passes to be attached to the front of the 

 s\-mphysis pubis, where its fibres decussate with those of its feUow 

 of the opposite side, the fibres from the right side being superficially 

 placed. An interval is thus left between these diverging bimdles, 

 which is widest at the lower and inner part, where it corresponds 

 with a portion of the pubic crest. This interval is the external 

 abdominal ring. Its direction is upwards and outwards, and 



