THE FASCIA TRANS VER8ALI8. 



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Trausversalis. Between the lower border of this muscle and Poupart's ligament 

 a space is left in which is seen the fascia transversalis. 



The inguinal or spermatic canal contains the spermatic cord in the male and 

 the round ligament in the female. It is an oblique canal, about an inch and a half 

 in length, directed downward and inward and placed parallel with, and a little 

 above, Poupart's ligament. It commences above at the internal abdominal ring, 

 which is the point where the cord enters the spermatic canal, and terminates 

 below at the external ring. It is bounded, in front, by the integument and 

 superficial fascia, by the aponeurosis of the External oblique throughout its whole 

 length, and by the Internal oblique for its outer third ; behind, by the triangular 

 ligament, the conjoined tendon of the Internal oblique and Transversalis, trans- 

 versalis fascia, and the subperitoneal fat and peritoneum ; above, by the arched 

 fibres of the Internal oblique and Transversalis ; below, by the union of the fascia 

 transversalis with Poupart's ligament. That form of protrusion in which the 



Internal . 

 abdominal ring. 



Epigastric artery. 



FIG. 759. Inguinal hernia showing the Transversalis muscle, the transversalis fascia, and the internal 

 abdominal ring. 



intestine follows the course of the spermatic cord along the spermatic canal is 

 called oblique inguinal hernia. 



The fascia transversalis is a thin aponeurotic membrane which lies between 

 the inner surface of the Transversalis muscle and the peritoneum. It forms part 

 of the general layer of fascia which lines the interior of the abdominal and pelvic 

 cavities, and is directly continuous with the iliac and pelvic fasciae. 



In the inguinal region the transversalis fascia is thick and dense in structure, 

 and joined by fibres from the aponeurosis of the Transversalis muscle; but it 

 becomes thin and cellular as it ascends to the Diaphragm. Below, it has the 

 following attachments : external to the femoral vessels it is connected to the 

 posterior margin of Poupart's ligament, and is there continuous with the iliac 

 fascia. Internal to the vessels it is thin, and attached to the os pubis and pectineal 

 line behind the conjoined tendon, with which it is united; and, corresponding to 

 the points where the femoral vessels pass into the thigh, this fascia descends in 

 front of them, forming the anterior wall .f the crural sheath. The spermatic cord 



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