The renal fascia is a layer of

connective tissue Connective tissue is one of the four primary types of animal tissue, along with epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue. It develops from the mesenchyme derived from the mesoderm the middle embryonic germ layer. Connective tiss ...

encapsulating the

kidney The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blo ...

s and the

adrenal gland The adrenal glands (also known as suprarenal glands) are endocrine glands that produce a variety of hormones including adrenaline and the steroids aldosterone and cortisol. They are found above the kidneys. Each gland has an outer cortex ...

s. It can be divided into: *The anterior renal fascia, also called Gerota's fascia (after

Dimitrie Gerota Dimitrie D. Gerota (pronounced , 17 July 1867 – 3 March 1939) was a Romanian anatomist, physician, radiologist, urologist, and corresponding member of the Romanian Academy from 1916. Biography He was born in Craiova, the son of a priest, Dimi ...

) *The posterior renal fascia, also called Zuckerkandl's fascia or fascia retrorenalis The renal fascia separates the adipose capsule of kidney from the overlying pararenal fat. The deeper layers below the renal fascia are, in order, the adipose capsule (or perirenal fat), the renal capsule and finally the

parenchyma Parenchyma () is the bulk of functional substance in an animal organ or structure such as a tumour. In zoology it is the name for the tissue that fills the interior of flatworms. Etymology The term ''parenchyma'' is New Latin from the word � ...

of the

renal cortex The renal cortex is the outer portion of the kidney between the renal capsule and the renal medulla. In the adult, it forms a continuous smooth outer zone with a number of projections (cortical columns) that extend down between the pyramids. It ...

. The spaces about the kidney are typically divided into three compartments: the perinephric space and the anterior and posterior pararenal spaces.

Anterior renal fascia

* Medial attachment: Passes anterior to the kidney, renal vessels,

abdominal aorta In human anatomy, the abdominal aorta is the largest artery in the abdominal cavity. As part of the aorta, it is a direct continuation of the descending aorta (of the thorax). Structure The abdominal aorta begins at the level of the diaphr ...

and

inferior vena cava The inferior vena cava is a large vein that carries the deoxygenated blood from the lower and middle body into the right atrium of the heart. It is formed by the joining of the right and the left common iliac veins, usually at the level of th ...

and fuses with the anterior layer of the renal fascia of the opposite kidney. * Lateral attachment: Fuses with the

psoas fascia Psoas (from Greek ψόας) can refer to: * Psoas major muscle * Psoas minor muscle * Psoas sign The psoas sign, also known as Cope's sign (or Cope's psoas test) or Obraztsova's sign, is a medical sign that indicates irritation to the iliopsoas ...

and side of the body of the vertebrae. * Superior attachment: The anterior and posterior layers fuse at the upper pole of the kidney and then split to enclose the adrenal gland. At the upper part of the adrenal gland, they again fuse to form the suspensory ligament of the adrenal gland and fuse with the diaphragmatic fascia. * Inferior attachment: The layers do not fuse. The posterior layer descends downwards and fuses with the iliac fascia. The anterior layer blends with the connective tissue of the iliac fossa. The anterior fascia and posterior fascia fuse laterally to form the lateroconal fascia which fuses with the transverse fascia. In front of the fascia anterior to the perinephric space (also known as Gerota's fascia) is the anterior pararenal space, which contains the

pancreas The pancreas is an organ of the digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. In humans, it is located in the abdomen behind the stomach and functions as a gland. The pancreas is a mixed or heterocrine gland, i.e. it has both an ...

, ascending and descending colon, and second through fourth parts of the

duodenum The duodenum is the first section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear, and the terms anterior intestine or proximal intestine m ...

. The fascia posterior to the perinephric space was named Zuckerkandl's fascia. Posterior to this lies the posterior paranephric space which does not contain any abdominal organs.

Posterior renal fascia

Zuckerkandl's fascia or ''fascia retrorenalis'' is a fibrous sheath covering the posterior side of the

. It constitutes the posterior layer of the renal fascia and was first described by Emil Zuckerkandl in 1883.

Additional images

Gray1126.png, Transverse section, showing the relations of the capsule of the kidney. Gray1125.png, Sagittal section through posterior abdominal wall, showing the relations of the capsule of the kidney.

References

External links

* - "Posterior Abdominal Wall: The Retroperitoneal Fat and Suprarenal Glands" * * {{Authority control Kidney anatomy Fascia