The abdomen contains within itself, in a space called the abdominal cavity, important organs of the digestive and urinary systems, of the endocrine and lympho-hematopoietic systems; also inside the abdominal cavity, it also houses blood vessels and nervous structures.
The abdomen is provided with an important musculature, which contains and protects the internal viscera, stabilizes the pelvis, protects the spinal column from dangerous movements and contributes to posture.
This article is devoted to the description of the anatomy of the abdomen.
The topics of discussion addressed in the next chapters will be: the boundaries of the abdomen and its possible subdivisions, the abdominal cavity, the abdominal organs and muscles, and, finally, the supporting skeletal structure.
Within its confines, the abdomen includes the abdominal cavity, within which important organs reside, and the lumbar spine; moreover, it houses the abdominal muscles, which not only contain the viscera but also contribute to posture, all " balance and stability of the aforementioned spinal tract.
In colloquial language, the abdomen is also known as the womb or belly.
, anteriorly, and the XII thoracic vertebrae, posteriorly; more simply, it is the thoracic diaphragm, that is the dome-shaped breathing muscle that describes the lower perimeter of the thorax.The upper margin of the pelvis, on the other hand, is defined by the pubic bone (or pubis), anteriorly, the sacrum, posteriorly, and the iliac crests of the ilium, laterally. pelvic, that is, that imaginary horizontal line that runs from the lumbo-sacral joint to the pubic symphysis, passing through the arched line of the ilium and the pectinous crest of the pubis.
