Linea alba

The title of this article is ambiguous. For the line of the buccal mucosa called the Linea alba buccalis , see Morsicatio buccarum .

Cross-section through the abdominal wall.
Central the linea alba. The lateral rectus abdominis muscle ( RECTUS in the picture ) is cut

Musculus external oblique abdominis with linea alba on the left

The Linea alba ( Latin for "white line") is a vertical connective tissue suture in the middle of the abdomen in mammals, which is created by the interweaving of the flat tendons ( "tendon plates" ) of the lateral abdominal muscles . It extends from the xiphoid process to the pubic symphysis . Above the navel , the human linea alba is about 1–2 cm wide, and becomes narrower towards the pelvis.

The linea alba is thus composed of the tendons of the following muscles:

• External obliquus abdominis muscle
• Internus abdominis oblique muscle
• Transversus abdominis muscle

The rectus abdominis muscle lies on both sides of the linea alba . Its intermediate tendons ( intersectiones tendineae ) are anchored in the linea alba. The navel lies on top of her in the middle of the abdomen.

Mostly in the course of pregnancy, the linea alba can turn yellow-brown to the linea fusca s due to melanin deposits . Discolour linea nigra .

Clinical significance

If you are pregnant or are very obese , the two straight abdominal muscles may diverge ( diastasis rectus ). The formation of a small hernia in the area of ​​the linea alba ( hernia epigastrica ) is also possible, which can develop into a ventral abdominal wall hernia .

The linea alba allows, as connective tissue is only sparsely supplied with blood, a little bleeding access to the abdominal cavity (abdomen) during the laparotomy . Almost all abdominal operations on small animals are therefore carried out via this access.

See also

• Linea alba buccalis

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Werner Platzer: Pocket Atlas of Anatomy . tape 1 . Georg Thieme, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-13-492010-9 , p. 84 .
2. ↑ ^{a b} Walther Graumann: Compact Textbook Anatomy . tape 2 . Schattauer, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 978-3-7945-2062-6 , pp. 64 .
3. ↑ Kurt JG Schmailzl, B.-Joachim Hackelöer: Pregnancy and illness: interaction, therapy, prognosis . Georg Thieme Verlag, 2002, ISBN 3-89412-446-6 , p. 492 .
4. ↑ Peter Abrahams, Peter Webb: Clinical anatomy of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions . Springer, Berlin 2013, ISBN 978-3-642-66848-7 , pp. 101 .
5. ↑ Michaele Alef: Operations on dogs and cats . Georg Thieme, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-8304-4172-4 , p. 221 .