Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Lower Gastrointestinal Tract Surgery: Vol.1, Laparoscopic procedures pp 1–26Cite as

The Anatomy of the Small Intestine

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Springer Surgery Atlas Series ((SPRISURGERY))

Abstract

The small intestine extends from the distal end of the pyloric canal to the ileocaecal junction and consists of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The jejunum and ileum (collectively often termed the small bowel) are attached to the posterior abdominal wall by a mesentery and their loops are mobile. The mesentery of the small intestine begins at the duodenojejunal flexure to the left of the lower border of the first lumbar vertebra and passes obliquely downwards to the right sacroiliac joint. It contains the superior mesenteric vessels, the lymph nodes draining the small bowel and autonomic nerve fibres. Its surface projection is an oblique line from a point just to the left of the lower border of the first lumbar vertebra (in the transpyloric plane) towards the right iliac fossa.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Gabe SM. Small intestine. In: Standring S, editor. Gray’s anatomy: the anatomical basis of clinical practice. 41st ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2016. p. 1124–35.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Mirjalili SA, McFadden SL, Buckenham T, Stringer MD. A reappraisal of adult abdominal surface anatomy. Clin Anat. 2012;25:844–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Teitelbaum EN, Vaziri K, Zettervall S, Amdur RL, Orkin BA. Intraoperative small bowel length measurements and analysis of demographic predictors of increased length. Clin Anat. 2013;26:827–32.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Androulakis JA, Skandalakis LJ, Kingsnorth AN, Colborn GL, et al. Small intestine. In: Skandalakis JE, editor. Skandalakis’ surgical anatomy: the embryologic and anatomic basis of modern surgery. Athens: Paschalis Medical Publications; 2004. p. 791–839.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Furness JB, Callaghan BP, Rivera LR, Cho H. The enteric nervous system and gastrointestinal innervation: integrated local and central control. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2014;817:39–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Collins P. Development of the peritoneal cavity, gastrointestinal tract and its adnexae. In: Standring S, editor. Gray’s anatomy: the anatomical basis of clinical practice. 41st ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2016. p. 1048–68.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Koch C, Taghavi K, Hamill J, Mirjalili SA. Redefining the projectional and clinical anatomy of the duodenojejunal flexure in children. Clin Anat. 2016;29:175–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Skandalakis JE, Skandalakis LJ, Colborn LB, Gray SW. The duodenum. Part 2: surgical anatomy. Am Surg. 1989;55:291–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Choi YR, Han JH, Cho YS, Han HS, Chae HB, Park SM, Youn SJ. Efficacy of cap-assisted endoscopy for routine examining the ampulla of Vater. World J Gastroenterol. 2013;19:2037–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kim SK, Cho CD, Wojtowycz AR. The ligament of Treitz (the suspensory ligament of the duodenum): anatomic and radiographic correlation. Abdom Imaging. 2008;33:395–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hernandez-Jover D, Pernas JC, Gonzalez-Ceballos S, Lupu I, Monill JM, Pérez C. Pancreatoduodenal junction: review of anatomy and pathologic conditions. J Gastrointest Surg. 2011;15:1269–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Bianchi HF, Albanèse EF. The supraduodenal artery. Surg Radiol Anat. 1989;11:37–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Haruta S, Shinohara H, Ueno M, Udagawa H, Sakai Y, Uyama I. Anatomical considerations of the infrapyloric artery and its associated lymph nodes during laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery. Gastric Cancer. 2015;18:876–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Yamaguchi H, Wakiguchi S, Murakami G, Hata F, Hirata K, Shimada K, Kitamura S. Blood supply to the duodenal papilla and the communicating artery between the anterior and posterior pancreaticoduodenal arterial arcades. J Hepato-Biliary-Pancreat Surg. 2001;8:238–44.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Murakami G, Hirata K, Takamuro T, Mukaiya M, Hata F, Kitagawa S. Vascular anatomy of the pancreaticoduodenal region: a review. J Hepato-Biliary-Pancreat Surg. 1999;6:55–68.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Gest TR, Hildebrandt S. The pattern of the thoracic splanchnic nerves as they pass through the diaphragm. Clin Anat. 2009;22:809–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Loukas M, Klaassen Z, Merbs W, Tubbs RS, Gielecki J, Zurada A. A review of the thoracic splanchnic nerves and celiac ganglia. Clin Anat. 2010;23:512–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Ozkurt H, Cenker MM, Bas N, Erturk SM, Basak M. Measurement of the distance and angle between the aorta and superior mesenteric artery: normal values in different BMI categories. Surg Radiol Anat. 2007;29:595–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. He Y, Wu Z, Chen S, Tian L, Li D, Li M, et al. Nutcracker syndrome—how well do we know it? Urology. 2014;83:12–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Moskovich R, Cheong-Leen P. Vascular compression of the duodenum. J R Soc Med. 1986;79:465–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Mathenge N, Osiro S, Rodriguez II, Salib C, Tubbs RS, Loukas M. Superior mesenteric artery syndrome and its associated gastrointestinal implications. Clin Anat. 2014;27:1244–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Rosenblum JD, Boyle CM, Schwartz LB. The mesenteric circulation: anatomy and physiology. Surg Clin North Am. 1997;77:289–306.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Geboes K, Geboes KP, Maleux G. Vascular anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2001;15:1–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Horton KM, Fishman EK. CT angiography of the mesenteric circulation. Radiol Clin N Am. 2010;48:331–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Kim HJ, Ko YT, Lim JW, Lee DH. Radiologic anatomy of the superior mesenteric vein and branching patterns of the first jejunal trunk: evaluation using multi-detector row CT venography. Surg Radiol Anat. 2007;29:67–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Horton KM, Fishman EK. Volume-rendered 3D CT of the mesenteric vasculature: normal anatomy, anatomic variants, and pathologic conditions. Radiographics. 2002;22:161–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Ignjatovic D, Spasojevic M, Stimec B. Can the gastrocolic trunk of Henle serve as an anatomical landmark in laparoscopic right colectomy? A postmortem anatomical study. Am J Surg. 2010;199:249–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Lange JF, Koppert S, van Eyck CH, Kazemier G, Kleinrensink GJ, Godschalk M. The gastrocolic trunk of Henle in pancreatic surgery: an anatomo-clinical study. J Hepato-Biliary-Pancreat Surg. 2000;7:401–3.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Miller MJ, McDole JR, Newberry RD. Microanatomy of the intestinal lymphatic system. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2010;1207(Suppl 1):E21–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Houston SA, Cerovic V, Thomson C, Brewer J, Mowat AM, Milling S. The lymph nodes draining the small intestine and colon are anatomically separate and immunologically distinct. Mucosal Immunol. 2016;9:468–78.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, King’s College London, London, UK

    Susan Standring

Authors
  1. Susan Standring
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susan Standring .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford, Kent, UK

    Michael Parker

  2. Universitätsklinikum Erlangen Chirurgische Klinik, Erlangen, Bayern, Germany

    Werner Hohenberger

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Standring, S. (2019). The Anatomy of the Small Intestine. In: Parker, M., Hohenberger, W. (eds) Lower Gastrointestinal Tract Surgery: Vol.1, Laparoscopic procedures. Springer Surgery Atlas Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05240-9_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05240-9_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-05239-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-05240-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation