The abdominal wall represents the boundaries of the abdominal cavity

Abdominal cavity

The abdominal cavity is the body cavity of the human body that holds the bulk of the viscera. It is located below the thoracic cavity, and above the pelvic cavity. Its dome-shaped roof is the thoracic diaphragm , and its oblique floor is the pelvic inlet...

. The abdominal wall is split into the posterior (back), lateral (sides) and anterior (front) walls.

There is a common set of layers covering and forming all the walls: the deepest being the extraperitoneal fat

Extraperitoneal fat

Between the inner surface of the general layer of the fascia which lines the interior of the abdominal and pelvic cavities, and the peritoneum, there is a considerable amount of connective tissue, termed the extraperitoneal fat or subperitoneal connective tissue.-Parietal portion:The parietal...

, the parietal peritoneum, and a layer of fascia

Fascia

A fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue that permeates the human body. A fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding those structures together in much the same manner as plastic wrap can be used to hold the contents of sandwiches...

, which has different names according to what it covers (e.g., transversalis, psoas fascia).

Superficial to these, but not present in the posterior wall, are the three layers of muscle: the transversus abdominis (transverse abdominal muscle), the internal (obliquus internus) and the external oblique (obliquus externus).

Layers of anterior abdominal wall

In human anatomy

Human anatomy

Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the human body. Anatomy is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy. Gross anatomy is the study of anatomical structures that can be seen by the naked eye...

, the layers of the abdominal wall are (from superficial to deep):

• Skin
  Skin
  -Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...
  
  
• Fascia
  Fascia
  A fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue that permeates the human body. A fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding those structures together in much the same manner as plastic wrap can be used to hold the contents of sandwiches...
  
  
  • Camper's fascia - fatty superficial layer.
  • Scarpa's fascia - deep fibrous layer.
• Muscle
  Muscle
  Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
  
  
  • Rectus abdominis
  • External oblique muscle
  • Internal oblique muscle
  • Transverse abdominal muscle
• Fascia transversalis
• Peritoneum
  Peritoneum
  The peritoneum is the serous membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity or the coelom — it covers most of the intra-abdominal organs — in amniotes and some invertebrates...
  
  

Inner surface

The surface contains several ligaments separated by fossae:

Ligament/fold

Remnant of

Lateral fossa

Hernia >- | median umbilical ligament Median umbilical ligament The median umbilical ligament is a structure in human anatomy. It is a shrivelled piece of tissue that represents the remnant of the embryonic urachus.It extends from the apex of the bladder to the umbilicus, on the deep surface of the anterior abdominal wall...

urachus Urachus The urachus is a fibrous remnant of the allantois, a canal that drains the urinary bladder of the fetus that joins and runs within the umbilical cord...

supravesical fossa Supravesical fossa The supravesical fossa is a fossa bounded by the medial umbilical fold and median umbilical fold....

>- | medial umbilical ligament Medial umbilical ligament The medial umbilical ligament is a paired structure found in human anatomy. It is on the deep surface of the anterior abdominal wall, and is covered by the medial umbilical folds ....

umbilical artery Umbilical artery The umbilical artery is a paired artery that is found in the abdominal and pelvic regions. In the fetus, it extends into the umbilical cord.-Umbilical arteries in the fetus:...

medial inguinal fossa Medial inguinal fossa The medial inguinal fossa is a depression located within the inguinal triangle on the peritoneal surface of the anterior abdominal wall between the ridges formed by the lateral umbilical fold and the medial umbilical ligament, corresponding to the superficial inguinal ring.-External links: -...

direct inguinal hernia Direct inguinal hernia The direct inguinal hernia, a type of inguinal hernia, enters through a weak point in the fascia of the abdominal wall, and its sac is noted to be medial to the inferior epigastric vessels... >- | lateral umbilical fold

inferior epigastric vessels

lateral inguinal fossa Lateral inguinal fossa The lateral inguinal fossa is a structure described in human anatomy. It is a shallow concave stretch of peritoneum on the deep surface of the anterior abdominal wall and is best seen from the greater peritoneal cavity, looking anteriorly .-Boundaries:It is a shallow depression on the inner aspect...

indirect inguinal hernia Indirect inguinal hernia An indirect inguinal hernia is an inguinal hernia that results from the failure of embryonic closure of the deep inguinal ring after the testicle has passed through it. Like other inguinal hernias, it protrudes through the superficial inguinal ring...

See also

• Peritoneum
  Peritoneum
  The peritoneum is the serous membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity or the coelom — it covers most of the intra-abdominal organs — in amniotes and some invertebrates...
  
  
• Human abdomen
• Terms for anatomical location
• Abdominal exercise
  Abdominal exercise
  Abdominal exercises are those that affect the abdominal muscles .-Usage:Abdominal exercises are useful for building the abdominal muscles...
  
  

External links

- "Skeleton of the Abdomen", Wesley Norman, PhD, DSc

• Anterolateral Abdominal Wall - University of Edinburgh
  University of Edinburgh
  The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
  
   Faculty of Medicine
• Muscles of the Anterior Abdominal Wall - University of Arkansas
  University of Arkansas
  The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...