Corpus: Renal fascia

The renal fascia is a fascial sac that surrounds the kidneys and adrenal glands in the retroperitoneal space.

The terms "renal fascia" and "Gerota's fascia" are mainly used synonymously in the literature. Strictly speaking, however, the Gerota fascia is only the anterior (ventral) leaflet of the renal fascia. The posterior (dorsal) leaflet is defined as the "Zuckerkandl fascia" after its first describer.^[1]

The renal fascia surrounds the renal adipose tissue (capsula adiposa renis) with an anterior and a posterior leaflet, which encloses the kidney and adrenal gland like a capsule. The cranial and lateral union of the two leaves forms a fascial sac that is not closed medially and caudally.

Limitations[Bearbeiten]

The ventral fascia leaflet (fascia praerenalis) borders on the parietal peritoneum. The dorsal leaflet (fascia retrorenalis) inserts medially on the spinal column.

The two leaves are joined laterally and cranially to form the fascial sac:

• Laterally, the renal fascia merges with the lateroconal fascia of the abdominal wall.
• Cranially there is a relationship to the diaphragmatic fascia.

Medially and caudally, the fascial sac opens into the retroperitoneal space. The openings allow

• medially: the vascular connection of the kidney to the retroperitoneal vessels
  • inferior vena cava via renal vein
  • abdominal aorta via renal artery
• Caudal: the passage of the ureter

Topography[Bearbeiten]

Dorsal to the retrorenal fascia, the psoas major muscle runs medially next to the lumbar spine. The ascending and descending colons run ventral to the praerenal fascia in the peritoneal space.

Behind the renal fascia lies a retrorenal fat body, the pararenal adipose mass. In addition, the proximal nerves of the lumbar plexus and the subcostal nerve cross from dorsomedial to laterocaudal in the lower third of the renal fascia.

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