The Peritoneum

11 The Peritoneum


Anatomy


General Facts


Function

image mechanical protection by means of impact-buffering fat


image vascular function


image immune defense


Location


Parietal Peritoneum

image diaphragmatic part: underside of the diaphragm


image posterior part:



  • covers the transversal fascia and is separated from the abdominal wall by the retroperitoneal space
  • located in the retroperitoneal space are the aorta, inferior vena cava, kidney, ureter, and adrenal glands; the ureter is attached to the peritoneum by its cover of connective tissue

image anterior part: covers the anterolateral abdominal wall and forms:



  • supravesical fossa
  • medial inguinal fossa
  • lateral inguinal fossa (= weak spots in the abdominal wall—hernia gates)

image inferior part: lines the sidewalls of the pelvic cavity and lies along the median line of the subperitoneal connective tissue. In the female pelvis, the peritoneum forms two deep pouches:



  • vesicouterine pouch
  • rectouterine pouch (pouch of Douglas)

Visceral Peritoneum

The visceral peritoneum lies (firmly) against the inside of the parietal peritoneum and the surfaces of the abdominal organs.



images

Fig. 11.1 Structures of the parietal peritoneum on the posterior wall of the torso.


Topographic Relationships


The peritoneum is topographically connected to all the intraperitoneal organs and to most of the retro- and extraperitoneal organs and structures.


Attachments/Suspensions


Mesenteries

The mesenteries attach the organs to the walls of the torso and supply them with vessels and nerves.


Mesentery of the Stomach

Gastropancreatic fold (with left gastric artery) with the duodenopancreatic ligament (with common hepatic artery)


Mesentery of the Small Intestine

image 12–15cm long and 18mm wide


image crosses L2–L5


image At the level L3–L4, the superior mesenteric vein enters the mesentery.


image Between L4 and L5, the mesentery crosses the right ureter.


The mesoappendix originates in the mesentery and continues into the appendico-ovarian ligament.


Transverse Mesocolon

The transverse mesocolon divides the peritoneal space into the upper and the lower abdomen.


Sigmoid Mesocolon

image One root runs vertically downward from the inferior mesenteric artery to S3.


image The second root of the sigmoid mesocolon runs diagonally from the inferior mesenteric artery to the inner edge of the left psoas.


image Additional connections exist to the left iliac artery, left fallopian tube, and mesentery.


The ligament of Treitz (suspensory muscle of the duodenum) runs from the crus of the diaphragm, the right edge of the esophagus, and the aortic hiatus to the duodenojejunal flexure.


The Treitz fascia constitutes the connection of the duodenum and the pancreas. In addition, it fixates the pancreas posteriorly onto the transversal fascia.


The Toldt fascia connects the ascending colon with the descending colon.


Both fasciae are the rudimentary embryonic mesenteries of these organs and point to their embryonic intraperitoneal location.


Ligaments

Ligaments connect two organs to each other or an organ to the wall of the abdomen, but do not contain important vessels. They include the:


image round ligament of the liver (ligamentum teres hepatis, obliterated umbilical vein)


image coronary ligament with left and right triangular ligaments


image gastrophrenic ligament (enveloping fold of the two leaves of the peritoneum that cover the stomach)—continues as the lesser omentum and gastrosplenic ligament


image broad ligament of the uterus (fixates the peritoneum firmly to the uterus and adnexas)


image phrenicocolic ligament (lateral continuation of the greater omentum)


Omenta

The omenta are infoldings of the peritoneum that sometimes contain vessels and run from one organ to another. They include the:


image lesser omentum


image greater omentum (a part of the greater omentum forms the gastrocolic ligament)


image gastrosplenic ligament (continuation of the gastrocolic ligament in a left-lateral direction)—continues on the inside of the spleen and as the anterior leaf of the pancreaticosplenic ligament


image pancreaticosplenic ligament (posterior short leaf continues as the posterior parietal peritoneum)


Omental Bursa

Borders

image at the back: posterior parietal peritoneum


image at the front: lesser omentum, stomach, transverse colon


image below: transverse mesocolon


image on the left: gastrosplenic and pancreaticosplenic ligaments


Circulation


The arterial, venous, and lymphatic circulations of the visceral peritoneum correspond to the supply lines of the organ. The parietal peritoneum is supplied segmentally.


Innervation

The peritoneum is supplied by sensory and vasomotor fibers from the phrenic nerve and the thoracic and lumbar segmental nerves.


Movement Physiology according to Barral


Motricity

As the parietal peritoneum is attached to the wall of the torso (see above), movements of the torso cause it to move as well, in the sense of stretching or approximating partial areas, e. g., if you lean the upper body backward, the anterior part of the peritoneum, which lies flat against the abdominal wall, is stretched. If postoperative adhesions are present, this can trigger pain.


A lateral flexion of the torso to the right approximates the right lateral part and stretches the left lateral part.


Mobility

The engine for this form of movement is the respiratory movement of the abdomen and diaphragm.


During inhalation, the respiratory movement in the diaphragm causes the entire peritoneal sac to shift caudally. In addition the subdiaphragmatic parts experience a shift medially in the lateral areas.


The abdominal wall is pushed anteriorly by the abdominal organs during inhalation; the peritoneum follows similarly. During exhalation, the opposite movement occurs.


Motility

If the peritoneum is not affected by dysfunctions, it carries out a rotation around a longitudinal axis. The right side rotates toward the right and the left side toward the left.


Physiology


Functions of the peritoneum and the greater omentum are:


image mechanical protection of the anterior abdominal wall


image immunological function by embedding numerous lymphatic cells and vessels, especially in the greater omentum


image Fat storage: the greater omentum can store considerable amounts of fat which could even cause a significant increase in abdominal pressure, with dysfunctions of the abdominal organs or diaphragm.


Pathologies


Symptoms that Require Medical Clarification




  • Signs of peritonitis

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Mar 4, 2017 | Posted by in ORTHOPEDIC | Comments Off on The Peritoneum

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