Inguinal canal

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Inguinal canal

Front of abdomen, showing surface markings for arteries and inguinal canal. (Inguinal canal is tube at lower left.)

The scrotum. On the left side the cavity of the tunica vaginalis has been opened; on the right side only the layers superficial to the Cremaster have been removed. (Right inguinal canal visible at upper left.)
Latin	canalis inguinalis
Gray's	subject #258 1239
MeSH	Inguinal+Canal

The inguinal canal is a passage in the anterior abdominal wall which in men conveys the spermatic cord and in women the round ligament. The inguinal canal is larger and more prominent in men.

1 Boundaries
2 Development
3 Disorders
4 Additional images
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Boundaries

	superior wall (roof): internal oblique transversus abdominis
anterior wall: aponeurosis of external oblique aponeurosis of internal oblique	(inguinal canal)	posterior wall: transversalis fascia conjoint tendon
	inferior wall (floor): inguinal ligament lacunar ligament

One way to remember these structures is with the mnemonic "MALT", starting at the top and going counterclockwise:

M - muscles
A - aponeuroses
L - ligaments
T - transversalis/tendon

[edit] Development

During development in men the testes descend from their starting point near the kidneys down the abdomen and through the inguinal canal to reach the scrotum.

[edit] Disorders

The inguinal canal in women seldom leads to medical problems owing to its small size. In men, an inguinal hernia may occur, in which abdominal contents (usually the intestine) push through the canal's opening.

These may be direct or indirect, depending upon whether the contents impinge directly through the abdominal wall, or course through the length of the canal, respectively.