mesentery

What is the mesentery of the small bowel?

The mesentery is a broad fan-shaped fold of peritoneum that suspends the loops of small intestine from the posterior abdominal wall.

Where is the root of the mesentery attached?

To an oblique line across the posterior abdominal wall,

extending from the duodenojejunal flexure to the ileocecal junction.

What structures does the line of attachment of the mesentery cross in front of?

• Third part of the duodenum

• Abdominal aorta

• Inferior vena cava

• Right gonadal vessels

• Right ureter

• Right psoas major muscle

What does the line of attachment of the mesentery divide?

It divides the infracolic compartment into two parts: right and left.

Where does the right infracolic space terminate?

In the right iliac fossa.

Where does the left infracolic space continue?

Into the true pelvis.

What does the free border of the mesentery enclose?

The jejunum and ileum.

What are the contents of the mesentery?

• Superior mesenteric vessels – the vein at the right side of the artery, with their branches supplying the small bowel

• Jejunum and ileum in the free border

• Lymphatic vessels and nodes

• Autonomic nerve plexuses

• Fat and loose connective tissue