An understanding of the anatomy of the inguinal region aids the hernia surgeon. The main muscles of the anterior abdominal wall are;
The rectus abdominus runs on either side of the midline in the rectus sheath. The rectus sheath consists of fused muscular aponeurosis from the transversus abdominus, external and internal obliques. The sheath has a complete anterior layer but the posterior layer is absent in the lower abdomen. The site where the posterior sheath ends is termed the arcuate line or the semicircular line.