CHAPTER XIX. 

 ABDOMEN (Continued.) 



FASCIAE LINING THE ABDOMEN. 

 MUSCLES FORMING POSTERIOR WALL. 



THEIR ACTIONS. 



LANDMARKS FOR PARIETES. 



INJURIES. TUMORS. 



Fasciae Lining the Abdomen. The membra- 

 nous structure lining the inner surface of the abdominal 

 muscles is divisible into three parts, viz., the transversalis 

 and the iliac fasciae and the anterior layer of the lumbar 

 aponeurosis. The transversalis fascia is thick where it 

 covers the lower part of the anterior abdominal wall, but 

 becomes gradually thinner, higher up, and, on the under 

 surface of the diaphragm it is continued into a thin layer 

 of areolar tissue ; posteriorly, it becomes gradually contin- 

 uous, with the loose tissue behind the kidney and the colon. 

 The iliac fascia covers the ilio-psoas muscle and is much 

 denser than the preceding. Externally, it blends with 

 the lumbar fascia, and internally it is attached along the 

 inner border of the psoas, to the sacrum, the intervertebral 

 disks, the margins of the contiguous vertebrae, and to the 

 tendinous arches overlying the lumbar vessels, while, 

 above, it blends with the ligamentum arcuatum internum. 

 The disposition of the lower portions of both the trans- 

 versalis and iliac fasciae will be described under hernia. 

 The lumbar aponeurosis is divisible into three parts, 

 an anterior, a middle and a posterior. The anterior layer 

 covers the quadratus lumborum muscle and blends with the 

 middle layer at the outer border of that muscle. Above, 

 the anterior layer is attached to the lower border of the 

 last rib, thus forming the ligamentum arcuatum externum, 

 while below, it blends with the ilio-lumbar ligament. The 



