| Thoracolumbar fascia | |
|---|---|
| Diagram of a transverse section of the posterior abdominal wall, to show the disposition of the lumbodorsal fascia. | |
| Superficial muscles of the back. The thoracolumbar fascia is the gray area at bottom center. | |
| Latin | fascia thoracolumbalis, fascia lumbodorsalis |
| Gray's | subject #115 397 |
The thoracolumbar fascia (lumbodorsal fascia) is a deep investing membrane which covers the deep muscles of the back of the trunk. It is made up of three layers, anterior, middle, and posterior. The anterior layer is the thinnest and the posterior layer is the thickest. Two spaces are formed between these three layers of the fascia. Between the anterior and middle layer lies the quadratus lumborum muscle. The erector spinae muscle is enclosed between the middle and posterior layers.
Above, it passes in front of the serratus posterior superior and is continuous with a similar investing layer on the back of the neck—the nuchal fascia.
In the thoracic region the lumbodorsal fascia is a thin fibrous lamina which serves to bind down the Extensor muscles of the vertebral column and to separate them from the muscles connecting the vertebral column to the upper extremity.
It contains both longitudinal and transverse fibers, and is attached, medially, to the spinous processes of the thoracic vertebræ; laterally to the angles of the ribs.
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.
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