The iliac fascia (or Abernethy's fascia) is the

fascia A fascia (; : fasciae or fascias; adjective fascial; ) is a generic term for macroscopic membranous bodily structures. Fasciae are classified as superficial, visceral or deep, and further designated according to their anatomical location. ...

overlying the

iliacus muscle The iliacus is a flat, triangular muscle which fills the iliac fossa. It forms the lateral portion of iliopsoas, providing flexion of the thigh and lower limb at the acetabulofemoral joint. Structure The iliacus arises from the iliac fossa on ...

. Superiorly and laterally, the iliac fascia is attached to the inner aspect of the

iliac crest The crest of the ilium (or iliac crest) is the superior border of the wing of ilium and the superolateral margin of the greater pelvis. Structure The iliac crest stretches posteriorly from the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) to the posterio ...

; inferiorly and laterally, it extends into the thigh to unite with the

femoral sheath The femoral sheath (also called the crural sheath) is a funnel-shaped downward extension of abdominal fascia within which the femoral artery and femoral vein pass between the abdomen and the thigh. The femoral sheath is subdivided by two vertica ...

; medially, it attaches to the periosteum of the ilium and

iliopubic eminence Medial to the anterior inferior iliac spine is a broad, shallow groove, over which the iliacus and psoas major muscles pass. This groove is bounded medially by an eminence, the iliopubic eminence (or iliopectineal eminence), which marks the poin ...

near the

linea terminalis The linea terminalis or innominate line consists of the pubic crest, pectineal line (pecten pubis), the arcuate line, the sacral ala, and the sacral promontory. It is the pelvic brim, which is the edge of the pelvic inlet. The pelvic inlet i ...

, and blends with the

psoas fascia Psoas (from Greek ψόας) can refer to: * Psoas major muscle * Psoas minor muscle The psoas minor muscle ( or ; from ) is a long, slender skeletal muscle. When present, it is located anterior to the psoas major muscle.Tank (2005), p 93Gray (2 ...

and - over the

quadratus lumborum muscle The quadratus lumborum muscle, informally called the ''QL'', is a paired muscle of the left and right posterior abdominal wall. It is the deepest abdominal muscle, and commonly referred to as a back muscle. Each muscle of the pair is an irregular ...

- with the anterior layer of

thoracolumbar fascia The thoracolumbar fascia (lumbodorsal fascia or thoracodorsal fascia) is a complex, multilayer arrangement of fascial and aponeurotic layers forming a separation between the paraspinal muscles on one side, and the muscles of the posterior abdomina ...

. The iliac fascia overlies the femoral nerve, and lateral femoral cutaneous nerve.

Structure

It has the following connections: * ''laterally'', to the whole length of the inner lip of the

. * ''medially'', to the

of the

lesser pelvis The pelvic cavity is a body cavity that is bounded by the bones of the pelvis. Its oblique roof is the pelvic inlet (the superior opening of the pelvis). Its lower boundary is the pelvic floor. The pelvic cavity primarily contains the reproduc ...

, where it is continuous with the

periosteum The periosteum is a membrane that covers the outer surface of all bones, except at the articular surfaces (i.e. the parts within a joint space) of long bones. (At the joints of long bones the bone's outer surface is lined with "articular cartila ...

. At the

iliopectineal eminence Medial to the anterior inferior iliac spine is a broad, shallow groove, over which the iliacus and psoas major muscles pass. This groove is bounded medially by an eminence, the iliopubic eminence (or iliopectineal eminence), which marks the point ...

it receives the tendon of insertion of the

psoas minor The psoas minor muscle ( or ; from ) is a long, slender skeletal muscle. When present, it is located anterior to the psoas major muscle.Tank (2005), p 93Gray (2008), p 1372 Structure The psoas minor muscle originates from the vertical fascicles ...

, when that muscle exists. Lateral to the

femoral vessel The femoral vessels are those blood vessels passing through the femoral ring into the femoral canal thereby passing down the length of the thigh until behind the knee. These large vessel are the: * Femoral artery (also known in this location as ...

s it is intimately connected to the posterior margin of the

inguinal ligament The inguinal ligament (), also known as Poupart's ligament or groin ligament, is a band running from the pubic tubercle to the anterior superior iliac spine. It forms the base of the inguinal canal through which an indirect inguinal hernia may ...

, and is continuous with the

transversalis fascia The transversalis fascia (or transverse fascia) is the fascial lining of the anterolateral abdominal wall situated between the inner surface of the transverse abdominal muscle, and the preperitoneal fascia. It is directly continuous with the ilia ...

. Immediately lateral to the femoral vessels the iliac fascia is prolonged backward and medialward from the inguinal ligament as a band, the

iliopectineal fascia The iliopectineal arch is a thickened band of fused iliac fascia and psoas fascia passing from the posterior aspect of the inguinal ligament anteriorly across the front of the femoral nerve to attach to the iliopubic eminence of the hip bone poste ...

, which is attached to the iliopectineal eminence. This fascia divides the space between the inguinal ligament and the hip bone into two lacunæ or compartments: * the ''medial''

vascular lacuna The vascular lacuna (Latin: ''lacuna vasorum (retroinguinalis)'') is the medial compartment beneath the inguinal ligament. It is separated from the lateral muscular lacuna by the iliopectineal arch.Ross, L.M., Lamperti, E.D. (2006). Thieme: Atl ...

transmits the femoral vessels. * the ''lateral''

muscular lacuna The muscular lacuna (Latin: ''lacuna musculorum'') is the lateral compartment of the thigh beneath the inguinal ligament. It is separated from the medial vascular lacuna by the iliopectineal arch. It is occupied/traversed by the iliopsoas muscle, ...

transmits the

psoas major The psoas major ( or ; from ) is a long fusiform muscle located in the lateral lumbar region between the vertebral column and the brim of the lesser pelvis. It joins the iliacus muscle to form the iliopsoas. In other animals, this muscle is e ...

and

Iliacus The iliacus is a flat, triangular muscle which fills the iliac fossa. It forms the lateral portion of iliopsoas, providing flexion of the thigh and lower limb at the acetabulofemoral joint. Structure The iliacus arises from the iliac fossa on t ...

and the

femoral nerve The femoral nerve is a nerve in the thigh that supplies skin on the upper thigh and inner leg, and the muscles that extend the knee. It is the largest branch of the lumbar plexus. Structure The femoral nerve is the major nerve supplying the ant ...

. Medial to the vessels the iliac fascia is attached to the pectineal line behind the

conjoint tendon also known as superior tendon of abdominal cavity. The conjoint tendon (previously known as the inguinal aponeurotic falx) is a sheath of connective tissue formed from the lower part of the common aponeurosis of the abdominal internal oblique musc ...

, where it is again continuous with the transversalis fascia.

References

Pelvis Fascia {{musculoskeletal-stub

Structure

See also

References