The lateral umbilical fold overlies the
inferior epigastric artery
In human anatomy, inferior epigastric artery refers to the artery that arises from the external iliac artery. It anastomoses with the superior epigastric artery. Along its course, it is accompanied by a similarly named vein, the inferior epig ...
(a branch of the
external iliac artery
The external iliac arteries are two major arteries which bifurcate off the common iliac arteries anterior to the sacroiliac joint of the pelvis.
Structure
The external iliac artery arises from the bifurcation of the common iliac artery. Th ...
) and its accompanying veins. Unlike the
median
In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic f ...
and
medial umbilical folds, the contents of the lateral umbilical fold remain functional after birth. It originates just medial to the
deep inguinal ring to the
arcuate line on the posterior surface of the anterior abdominal wall.
Clinical significance
The lateral umbilical fold is an important reference site with regards to
hernia
A hernia is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ, such as the bowel, through the wall of the cavity in which it normally resides. Various types of hernias can occur, most commonly involving the abdomen, and specifically the groin. Groin her ...
classification. A direct hernia occurs medial to the lateral umbilical fold, whereas an indirect hernia originates lateral to the fold. This latter case is due to the placement of the opening of the
deep inguinal ring in the space lateral to the lateral umbilical fold, which allows the passage of the
ductus deferens
The vas deferens or ductus deferens is part of the male reproductive system of many vertebrates. The ducts transport sperm from the epididymis to the ejaculatory ducts in anticipation of ejaculation. The vas deferens is a partially coiled tube w ...
,
testicular artery
The testicular artery (the male gonadal artery, also called the internal spermatic arteries in older texts) is a branch of the abdominal aorta that supplies blood to the testis. It is a paired artery, with one for each of the testes.
It is the ...
, and other components of the
spermatic cord in men, or the round ligament of the uterus in women.
Additional images
File:Gray539.png, The arteries of the pelvis.
See also
*
Median umbilical ligament
*
Medial umbilical ligament
The medial umbilical ligament (or cord of umbilical artery, or obliterated umbilical artery) is a paired structure found in human anatomy. It is on the deep surface of the anterior abdominal wall
In anatomy, the abdominal wall represents the bo ...
References
External links
* Lateral umbilical fold
** - "Internal surface of the anterior abdominal wall."
**
Abdomen
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