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Information about Crus Of The Diaphragm

The diaphragm. Under surface. (Left crus and right crus are at bottom center.)
Deep and superficial dissection of the lumbar plexus. (Rt. crus of diaph. labeled vertically at center.)
Latincrus sinistrum diaphragmatis, crus dextrum diaphragmatis
subject #117 405
The crura of the diaphragm (singular=crus) are tendinous structures that extend downward from the diaphragm to attach to the vertebral column.

Structure

At their origins the crura are tendinous in structure, and blend with the anterior longitudinal ligament of the vertebral column.
  • The right crus, larger and longer than the left, arises from the anterior surfaces of the bodies and intervertebral fibrocartilages of the upper three lumbar vertebrae.
  • The left crus arises from the corresponding parts of the upper two lumbar vertebrae only.
The medial tendinous margins of the crura pass anteriorly and medialward, and meet in the middle line to form an arch across the front of the aorta known as the median arcuate ligament; this arch is often poorly defined. The area behind this arch is known as the aortic hiatus.

From this series of origins the fibers of the diaphragm converge to be inserted into the central tendon.

The fibers arising from the xiphoid process are very short, and occasionally aponeurotic; those from the medial and lateral lumbocostal arches, and more especially those from the ribs and their cartilages, are longer, and describe marked curves as they ascend and converge to their insertion. The fibers of the crura diverge as they ascend, the most lateral being directed upward and lateralward to the central tendon.

The medial fibers of the right crus ascend on the left side of the esophageal hiatus, and occasionally a fasciculus of the left crus crosses the aorta and runs obliquely through the fibers of the right crus toward the vena caval foramen.

Additional images


The relations of the viscera and large vessels of the abdomen. (Seen from behind, the last thoracic vertebra being well raised.)


External links

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

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General anatomy of torso
ThoraxMediastinum (Superior, Anterior, Middle, Posterior) • Superior thoracic aperture • Inferior thoracic aperture • Triangle of auscultation • Intercostal space • Thoracic plane • Thoracic cavity • Thoracic cage
Thoracic diaphragmopenings (Caval opening, Esophageal hiatus, Aortic hiatus, Foramina of Morgagni) • Central tendon • Crus of diaphragm • arcuate ligaments (Lateral, Medial, Median)
AbdomenMcBurney's point • Lumbar triangle • Arcuate line • Linea alba
PerineumUrogenital triangle • Anal triangle • Superficial perineal pouch • Perineal membrane • Deep perineal pouch • Urogenital diaphragm • Superior fascia of the urogenital diaphragm • Ischiorectal fossa - Pudendal canal
FasciaPectoral fascia - Clavipectoral fascia - Transversalis fascia - Deep inguinal ring - Superficial inguinal ring - Fascia of Camper - Fascia of Scarpa - Fascia of Colles
diaphragm is a sheet of muscle extending across the bottom of the ribcage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration.
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The lumbar plexus is a nervous plexus in the lumbar region of the body. It is formed by the loops of communication between the anterior divisions of the first three and the greater part of the fourth lumbar nerves; the first lumbar often receives a branch from the last thoracic
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Latin}}} 
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
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A tendon (or sinew) is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone and is built to withstand tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments except that ligaments join one bone to another.
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diaphragm is a sheet of muscle extending across the bottom of the ribcage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration.
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vertebral column (backbone or spine) is a column of 34 vertebrae, the sacrum, intervertebral discs, and the coccyx situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by spinal discs. It houses the spinal cord in its spinal canal.
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The anterior longitudinal ligament is a ligament that runs down the anterior surface of the spine. It traverses all of the vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs.
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vertebral column (backbone or spine) is a column of 34 vertebrae, the sacrum, intervertebral discs, and the coccyx situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by spinal discs. It houses the spinal cord in its spinal canal.
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Intervertebral discs (or intervertebral fibrocartilage) lie between adjacent vertebrae in the spine. Each disc forms a cartilaginous joint to allow slight movement of the vertebrae, and acts as a ligament to hold the vertebrae together.
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The lumbar vertebrae are the largest segments of the movable part of the vertebral column, and are characterized by the absence of the foramen transversarium within the transverse process, and by the absence of facets on the sides of the body.
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The median arcuate ligament is a ligament under the diaphragm that connects the right and left crura of diaphragm.

Structure

The median arcuate ligament is formed by the right and left crura of the diaphragm.
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The aortic hiatus is a hole in the human diaphragm through which the aorta and thoracic duct passes from the thorax into the abdomen. It is the lowest and most posterior of the large apertures.

It is located approximately at the level of the twelfth thoracic vertebra (T12).
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The central tendon of the diaphragm is a thin but strong aponeurosis situated near the center of the vault formed by the muscle, but somewhat closer to the front than to the back of the thorax, so that the posterior muscular fibers are longer.
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The xiphoid process is a small cartilaginous extension to the lower part of the sternum which is usually ossified in the adult human. By age 15 to 29, the xiphoid usually fuses to the body of the sternum with a fibrous joint.
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Lumbocostal arch can refer to:
  • Medial lumbocostal arch
  • Lateral lumbocostal arch

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In human anatomy, the esophageal hiatus is a hole in the diaphragm through which the esophagus passes. It is located in the right crus of the diaphragm.

It is located approximately at level of the tenth thoracic vertebra (T10).
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The caval opening is a hiatus in the diaphragm of humans through which passes the inferior vena cava, the wall of which is adherent to the margins of the opening, and some branches of the right phrenic nerve.
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The State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, better known as SUNY Downstate Medical Center, is an academic medical center and is the only one of its kind in the Borough of Brooklyn in New York City.
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Dorland's is the brand name of several different medical dictionaries and ancillary products, chiefly Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary (currently in its 31st edition) and Dorland's Pocket Medical Dictionary (currently in its 27th edition).
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Dorland's is the brand name of several different medical dictionaries and ancillary products, chiefly Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary (currently in its 31st edition) and Dorland's Pocket Medical Dictionary (currently in its 27th edition).
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eMedicine is an online clinical medical knowledge base that was founded in 1996 by Scott Plantz and Richard Lavely, two medical doctors. It was sold to WebMD in January 2006.
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eMedicine is an online clinical medical knowledge base that was founded in 1996 by Scott Plantz and Richard Lavely, two medical doctors. It was sold to WebMD in January 2006.
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Public domain comprises the body of knowledge and innovation (especially creative works such as writing, art, music, and inventions) in relation to which no person or other legal entity can establish or maintain proprietary interests within a particular legal jurisdiction.
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Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (or Gray's Anatomy as it has commonly been shortened) is an English-language human anatomy textbook widely regarded as a classic work on the subject.
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Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult human body.[1] It is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy.[1]
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Torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies (including that of the human) from which extend the neck and limbs. It is sometimes referred to as the trunk. The torso includes the thorax and abdomen.
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thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.

In mammals, the thorax is the region of the body formed by the sternum, the thoracic vertebrae and the ribs. It extends from the neck to the diaphragm, not including the upper limbs.
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The mediastinum is a non-delineated group of structures in the thorax (chest), surrounded by loose connective tissue. It is the central compartment of the thoracic cavity.
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The superior mediastinum is that portion of the interpleural space which lies between the manubrium sterni in front, and the upper thoracic vertebrae behind.

Boundaries

It is bounded:
  • below

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The anterior mediastinum exists only on the left side where the left pleura diverges from the mid-sternal line.

It is narrow, above, but widens out a little below.

Boundaries

It is bounded:
  • in front by the sternum
  • laterally

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