Topic #15: The anterior abdominal wall:

•  EXTERNAL OBLIQUE arises from the lower 8 ribs, and has fibres running downwards and forwards. They become an aponeurosis after a line running between ASIS and umbilicus. The inguinal ligament is its free lower border.
• INTERNAL OBLIQUE arises from the lumbar fascia, iliac crest and inguinal ligament. It runs ( Read more... )

Topic #14: Needle Insertion: Lumbar punctures, nerve blocks, epidurals and pnemo-/haemothoraxes:

•  In a LUMBAR PUNCTURE, a needle is inserted into the space between the arachnoid mater and pia mater. This is the SUBARACHNOID SPACE, which is filled with cerebrospinal fluid - samples of this need to be taken for a number of reasons, such as testing for ( Read more... )

Topic #13: Inguinal Canal

• The INGUINAL CANAL is a slit-like passage that extends in a downward and medial direction, just above and parallel to the inguinal ligament. It begins at the deep inguinal ring and ends at the superficial inguinal ring.
• The contents are the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve, the spermatic cord/round ligament and the ( Read more... )

Topic #12: Lymph drainage of the axillary region:

• Axillary lymph nodes drain all the lymphatics of the upper limb, as well as from the adjacent trunk, including upper back, shoulder, lower neck, chest and upper anterolateral abdominal wall. 
• Axillary nodes also drain 75% of the mammary gland.
• The 20-30 nodes are divided into 5 groups on the basis of ( Read more... )

Topic #11: The Femoral Triangle:

• This is a triangular space bounded superiorly by the inguinal ligament, medially by the medial border of adductor longus, and laterally by the medial border of sartorius.
• Its floor is formed by iliacus, psoas major and pectineus.
• Its roof is formed by fascia lata.
• Its contents, lateral to medial, are the femoral nerve, ( Read more... )

Topic #10: Blood supply of the digestive tract:

• The COELIAC TRUNK is the first branch of the abdominal aorta, and supplies structures of the foregut. It has three main branches:
  • The SPLENIC ARTERY, which supplies the spleen as well as giving off the dorsal pancreatic artery, short gastrics, and the left gastro-omental artery
  • The COMMON HEPATIC ARTERY ( Read more... )

Topic #9: Fractures of the Upper Limb:

• A fall on an outstretched hand will fracture at one or more of several points in the upper limb, depending on age, gender, mode of injury and bone density.
• Force is transmitted through the scaphoid to the distal radius, through the interosseous membrane to the ulna, to the humerus, to the glenoid fossa, to the ( Read more... )

Topic #8: Ligaments of the uterus and ovary:

• The BROAD LIGAMENT is a sheet-like ligament of visceral peritoneal bilayer extending along the inferior borders of the uterine tubes and lateral borders of the uterine body down to the pelvic floor and across to the lateral pelvic walls.
• The ROUND LIGAMENT is a fibrous cord contained within the layers of ( Read more... )

Topic #7: Lumbricals and Interossei:

• There are 4 lumbricals in each hand, attached to the radial side of each finger. They originate from the tendons of flexor digitorum profundus and insert into the extensor hoods. They flex the MCP joints and extend the PIP and DIP joints. The medial 2 are supplied by the ulnar nerve, the lateral two by the median ( Read more... )

Topic #5: Embryology of the diaphragm:

• The diaphragm develops from the SEPTUM TRANSVERSUM fusing with the pleuroperitoneal membrane, muscular ingrowths from the lateral body walls and dorsal oesophageal mesentery.
• Failure to fuse creates a CONGENITAL DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIA in 1 in every 2000 births. This is seen between the septum transversum and ( Read more... )