The transverse folds of rectum (or Houston's valves or the valves of Houston) are semi-lunar transverse folds of the
rectal wall that protrude into the rectum, not the
anal canal
The anal canal is the part that connects the rectum to the anus, located below the level of the pelvic diaphragm. It is located within the anal triangle of the perineum, between the right and left ischioanal fossa. As the final functional s ...
as that lies below the rectum. Their use seems to be to support the weight of
fecal matter, and prevent its urging toward the
anus, which would produce a strong urge to
defecate. Although the term rectum means straight, these transverse folds overlap each other during the empty state of the intestine to such an extent that, as Houston remarked, they require considerable maneuvering to conduct an instrument along the canal, as often occurs in
sigmoidoscopy and
colonoscopy.
These folds are about 12 mm. in width and are composed of the circular muscle coat of the rectum. They are usually three in number; sometimes a fourth is found, and occasionally only two are present.
* One is situated near the commencement of the rectum, on the right side.
* A second extends inward from the left side of the tube, opposite the middle of the
sacrum.
* A third, the largest and most constant, projects backward from the forepart of the rectum, opposite the fundus of the
urinary bladder
The bladder () is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the Kidney (vertebrates), kidneys. In placental mammals, urine enters the bladder via the ureters and exits via the urethra during urination. In humans, the ...
.
* When a fourth is present, it is situated nearly 2.5 cm above the anus on the left and posterior wall of the tube.
Transverse folds were first described by Irish anatomist
John Houston, curator of the
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Museum, in 1830. They appear to be peculiar to human physiology: Baur (1863) looked for Houston's valves in a number of mammals, including wolf, bear, rhinoceros, and several Old World primates, but found no evidence. They are formed very early during human development, and may be visible in embryos of as little as 55 mm in length (10 weeks of gestational age.)
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References
{{Authority control
Digestive system
Rectum