

Fascia Lining the Abdomen. 179 



Junction of the Muscular and Aponeurotic Fibres of 

 the Abdominal Muscles. For the external oblique, a line 

 drawn downwards from the tip of the tenth costal carti- 

 lage to a point half an inch behind and above the an- 

 terior iliac spine this lower muscular angle is quite 

 marked in well developed subjects. For the internal 

 oblique, from the tip of the tenth cartilage to the spine of 

 the pubes, i.e., along the outer border of the rectus muscle, 

 and for the transversalis, a curved line parallel with, and 

 half an inch from, the seventh costal cartilage above, to 

 about the middle of Poupart's ligament. 



The Rectus muscle. The outer border of the rectus 

 corresponds, nearly, to the point of division of the aponeu- 

 roses of the internal oblique and lies in a line from the spine 

 of the pubes to the tip of the tenth costal cartilage. The 

 name linea semilunaris is given to the aponeurosis, just ex- 

 ternal to the rectus muscle, and is about three inches dis- 

 tant from the median line, at the level of the umbilicus. 

 The linetE transverse are situated as follows : One, oppo- 

 site the umbilicus; another, immediately below the ensi- 

 form cartilage, and the third midway between these two. 

 The umbilicus is opposite the disk between the third and 

 fourth lumbar vertebrae, is three-quarters of an inch above 

 the level of a line joining the highest points of the iliac 

 crests, is about the same distance above and to the right of 

 the bifurcation of the aorta, and, lastly, is opposite the 

 lower border of the third lumbar spine. 



Injuries. Wounds. In cceliotomy, the incision is 

 generally made in the median line between the umbilicus 

 and the pubes. Here, the linea alba is almost lost and the 

 wound will be between the recti muscles, or, will open the 

 fibres of these muscles. The subsequent development of 

 a hernia is always a possibility in wounds of the abdomi- 

 nal parietes whether inflicted accidentally or intentionally. 



