THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. 



1159 



i perpendicular planes each zone is subdivided into three regions, a central and two 

 lateral. Thus, in the upper zone, we get a hypochondriac region or hypochondrium 

 on each side, and an epigastric region or epigastrium in the centre. Similarly, the 

 umbilical zone is divided into right and left lumbar regions, with an umbilical region 

 between. And the hypogastric zone has a hypogastric region or hypogastrium in the 

 sentre, with right and left iliac regions at the sides. 



In addition, the portion of the abdominal wall above the body of the pubis is 

 known as the suprapubic region, and that immediately above the inguinal liga- 

 ments as the inguinal region. 



The three central divisions, namely, the epigastric, umbilical, and hypogastric 



Right hypochondriac region 



Xiphoid process 



Epigastric region 



Left hypochondriac region 



Transpyloric plane 



- Subcostal plane 



Umbilical region 

 Left lumbar region 



Intertubercular plane 



Left iliac region 

 Hypogastric region 



913. PLANES OF SUBDIVISION OF THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY, AND OUTLINE TRACING OF THE LIVER, 

 STOMACH, AND INTESTINE IN RELATION TO THE ANTERIOR ABDOMINAL WALL. 



lique position of the stomach and the high position of the transverse colon are largely due to the fact 

 that the subject was in the horizontal position. 



egions, can conveniently be further subdivided by the median sagittal plane, passing 

 trough the middle of the body, into right and left halves. 



The superior horizontal, or subcostal, plane passes posteriorly, through the superior part of 

 he third lumbar vertebra, or the nbro-cartilage between the second and third lumbar vertebrae, 

 "'he intertubercular plane cuts through the middle or superior part of the fifth lumbar vertebra. 



The inferior margin of the tenth costal cartilage frequently corresponds to the most dependent 

 art of the thoracic framework. Often, however, the eleventh costal cartilage descends ^ to ^ 

 ich lower. Nevertheless, the tenth cartilage is selected in drawing the subcostal plane, for two 



f reasons, namely, it is visible from the front as a rule, and it is comparatively fixed, whilst 

 'he eleventh, being a floating rib, is much more movable, is variable in length, and more 

 ifficult to locate. 



Another plane which is of some practical value is the transpyloric plane 

 Addison). This is a horizontal plane which is taken to intersect the trunk at the 

 svel of the first lumbar vertebra. That level is ascertained during life by taking 

 he mid-point of a line drawn, on the surface of the trunk, from the superior border 



74 b 



