Renal fascia
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Jeremy Jones had no recorded disclosures.
View Jeremy Jones's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Tariq Walizai had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Tariq Walizai's current disclosures- Gerota's capsule
- Fascia of Zuckerlandl
- Gerota capsule
- Zuckerkandl fascia
- Zuckerkandl's fascia
- Posterior perirenal fascia
- Anterior perirenal fascia
The renal fascia is a dense, elastic connective tissue sheath that envelops each kidney and adrenal gland together with a layer of surrounding perirenal fat forming the perirenal space.
It is a multi-laminated structure which is fused posteromedially with the muscular fasciae of the psoas and quadratus lumborum muscles. It extends anterolaterally behind the kidney as a bileaved layer, which then divides into two renal fasciae that pass in front of and behind the kidney:
anterior renal fascia (Gerota fascia): a thin lamina that passes around the front of the kidney and variably interleaves with the opposite anterior fascia
posterior renal fascia (Zuckerkandl fascia): a thicker posterior fascia that continues anterolaterally as the lateroconal fascia and fuses with the parietal peritoneum
Generally, the anterior and posterior fascial leaflets fuse inferiorly closing off the perirenal space from the rest of the retroperitoneum.
History and etymology
Emil Zuckerkandl (1849-1910) 2, was a Professor of Anatomy at the University of Vienna who described his eponymous fascia in 1883 3. However Zuckerkandl did not recognize the separate anterior renal fascia.
Dimitrie D Gerota (1867-1939) 4, a Romanian Professor of Anatomy and Surgery described his fascia in 1885 3 and at the same time named the posterior fascial layer after Zuckerkandl.
References
- 1. Chesbrough RM, Burkhard TK, Martinez AJ et-al. Gerota versus Zuckerkandl: the renal fascia revisited. Radiology. 1989;173 (3): 845-6. doi:10.1148/radiology.173.3.2682777 - Pubmed citation
- 2. Winer L, Jha P, Cowan SW, Yeo CJ, Goldstein SD. Emil Zuckerkandl, M.D. (1849-1910): Bridging Anatomic Study and the Operating Room Table. (2016) The American surgeon. 82 (3): 189-91. Pubmed
- 3. Chesbrough RM, Burkhard TK, Martinez AJ, Burks DD. Gerota versus Zuckerkandl: the renal fascia revisited. (1989) Radiology. 173 (3): 845-6. doi:10.1148/radiology.173.3.2682777 - Pubmed
- 4. Dumitrascu DI, Crivii CB, Opincaru I. A sculpture masterpiece for the teaching of anatomy. (2016) Clujul medical (1957). 89 (2): 304-6. doi:10.15386/cjmed-645 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
- Posterior pararenal space
- Adrenal gland
- AAST kidney injury scale
- Robson staging system of renal cell carcinoma
- Hairy kidney sign (Erdheim-Chester disease)
- Perirenal space
- Renal abscess
- Lateroconal fascia
- White line of Toldt
- Renal cell carcinoma (TNM staging)
- Perinephric abscess
- Anterior pararenal space
- Renal lymphoma
- Fascia
- Urogenital curriculum
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