| Fascia of Scarpa | |
|---|---|
 The subcutaneous inguinal ring. (Superficial fascia visible at top.) | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | stratum membranosum telae subcutaneae abdominis |
| TA98 | A04.5.02.022 |
| TA2 | 7093 |
| FMA | 72080 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The fascia of Scarpa is the deep membranous layer (stratum membranosum) of the superficial fascia of the abdomen. It is a layer of the anterior abdominal wall. It is found deep to the fascia of Camper and superficial to the external oblique muscle.
It is thinner and more membranous in character than the superficial fascia of Camper, and contains a considerable quantity of orange elastic fibers.
It is loosely connected by areolar tissue to the aponeurosis of the external oblique muscle, but in the midline it is more intimately adherent to the linea alba and the pubic symphysis, and in the male, it is prolonged on to the dorsum of the penis, forming the fundiform ligament; above, it is continuous with the superficial fascia over the rest of the trunk; inferiorly, it is continuous with the fascia of Colles of the perineum; however, it does not extend into the thigh as it just attaches to its fascia, which is known as fascia lata; medially and below, it is continued over the penis and spermatic cord to the scrotum, where it helps to form the dartos.
From the scrotum it may be traced backward into continuity with the deep layer of the superficial fascia of the perineum (superficial perineal fascia or fascia of Colles).
In the female, it is continued into the labia majora and from there to the fascia of Colles.
It is named for Italian anatomist Antonio Scarpa. [1] His description of the membranous superficial fascia is vague in his 1809 hernia monograph. [2] Life-size illustrations included by Scarpa do not identify the layer even though some show all the other anatomical layers of the abdominal wall in the inguinal region. A probable description of the fascia is in the text which discusses femoral (called crural) hernia in the male. Scarpa describes that "below the skin" we find "a layer of condensed substance forming the second covering of the hernia" which adheres to "the aponeurosis of the fascia lata". A little later he describes this layer as being membranous and he believes it has a role in containing this particular herniation. In 1810, Abraham Colles described detailed methods of dissection to expose membranous superficial fascia in the lower abdomen and the inguino-perineal region including the penis and scrotum. Colles clearly associated the subcutaneous limitation of urine extravasation from a ruptured urethra with the attachments of the membranous superficial fascia to deeper structures. [3]
Scarpa's belief that the fascia stops hernias from forming is not thought to be true today. Some anatomists suggest the membranous superficial fascia is the scaffold which attaches the skin to the deeper structures so that the skin does not sag with gravity but still stretches as the body flexes or changes shape with exercise. [3] The attachment of the fascia to deeper layers confines fluid which may have come from inside the body in certain diseases giving rise to clinical signs such as urethral disruption noticed by Colles and bruising in Cullen's sign or Grey Turner's sign. [3]
The perineum in humans is the space between the anus and scrotum in the male, or between the anus and the vulva in the female. The perineum is the region of the body between the pubic symphysis and the coccyx, including the perineal body and surrounding structures. The perineal raphe is visible and pronounced to varying degrees. The perineum is an erogenous zone. This area is also known as the taint or chode in American slang.
The inguinal canal is a passage in the anterior abdominal wall on each side of the body which in males convey the spermatic cords and in females the round ligament of the uterus. The inguinal canals are larger and more prominent in males.
The dartos fascia, dartos tunic or simply dartos is a layer of connective tissue found in the penile shaft, foreskin and scrotum. The penile portion is referred to as the superficial fascia of penis or the subcutaneous tissue of penis, while the scrotal part is the dartos proper. In addition to being continuous with itself between the scrotum and the penis, it is also continuous with Colles' fascia of the perineum and Scarpa's fascia of the abdomen.
The fundiform ligament or fundiform ligament of the penis is a specialization or thickening of the superficial (Scarpa's) fascia extending from the linea alba of the lower abdominal wall.
In anatomy, the abdominal wall represents the boundaries of the abdominal cavity. The abdominal wall is split into the anterolateral and posterior walls.
The perineal nerve is a nerve of the pelvis. It arises from the pudendal nerve in the pudendal canal. It gives superficial branches to the skin, and a deep branch to muscles. It supplies the skin and muscles of the perineum. Its latency is tested with electrodes.
The membranous layer of the superficial fascia of the perineum is the deeper layer of the superficial perineal fascia. It is thin, aponeurotic in structure, and of considerable strength, serving to bind down the muscles of the root of the penis. Colles' fascia emerges from the perineal membrane, which divides the base of the penis from the prostate. Colles' fascia emerges from the inferior side of the perineal membrane and continues along the ventral (inferior) penis without covering the scrotum. It separates the skin and subcutaneous fat from the superficial perineal pouch.
The fascia of Camper is a thick superficial layer of the anterior abdominal wall.
The perineal membrane is an anatomical term for a fibrous membrane in the perineum. The term "inferior fascia of urogenital diaphragm", used in older texts, is considered equivalent to the perineal membrane.
The superficial perineal pouch is a compartment of the perineum.
The deep perineal pouch is the anatomic space enclosed in part by the perineum, and located superior to the perineal membrane.
The rectus sheath is a tough fibrous compartment formed by the aponeuroses of the transverse abdominal muscle, and the internal and external oblique muscles. It contains the rectus abdominis and pyramidalis muscles, as well as vessels and nerves.
The cremasteric fascia is a fascia in the scrotum. As the cremaster descends, it forms a series of loops which differ in thickness and length in different subjects. At the upper part of the cord the loops are short, but they become in succession longer and longer, the longest reaching down as low as the testis, where a few are inserted into the tunica vaginalis. These loops are united together by areolar tissue, and form a thin covering over the cord and testis, the cremasteric fascia.
The aponeurosis of the abdominal external oblique muscle is a thin but strong membranous structure, the fibers of which are directed downward and medially.
Buck's fascia is a layer of deep fascia covering the three erectile bodies of the penis.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to human anatomy:
In human male anatomy, the radix or root of the penis is the internal and most proximal portion of the human penis that lies in the perineum. Unlike the pendulous body of the penis which is suspended from the pubic symphysis, the root is attached to the pubic arch of the pelvis and is not visible externally. It is triradiate in form, consisting of three masses of erectile tissue; the two diverging crura, one on either side, and the median bulb of the penis or urethral bulb. Approximately one third to one half of the penis is embedded in the pelvis and can be felt through the scrotum and in the perineum.
The subcutaneous tissue of perineum is a layer of subcutaneous tissue surrounding the region of the perineal body.
In most terrestrial mammals, the scrotum or scrotal sac is a part of the external male genitalia located at the base of the penis that consists of a suspended dual-chambered sac of skin and smooth muscle. The scrotum contains the external spermatic fascia, testicles, epididymis, and ductus deferens. It is a distention of the perineum and carries some abdominal tissues into its cavity including the testicular artery, testicular vein, and pampiniform plexus. The perineal raphe is a small, vertical, slightly raised ridge of scrotal skin under which is found the scrotal septum. It appears as a thin longitudinal line that runs front to back over the entire scrotum. In humans, the scrotum becomes covered with pubic hair at puberty. The scrotum will usually tighten during penile erection and when exposed to cold temperatures. One testis is typically lower than the other to avoid compression in the event of an impact.
The membranous layer or stratum membranosum is the deepest layer of subcutaneous tissue. The basement membrane separates the membranous layer from the dermis. It is a fusion of fibres into a homogeneous layer below the adipose tissue, for example, superficial to muscular fascias.
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 408 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
