course given to first‐year veterinary students. Professor Anthony King was the driving force that made veterinary anatomy a popular start to the careers in veterinary science. The success of the veterinary anatomy course was largely due to the way that anatomy, previously a rather boring subject comprising pure factual knowledge, became interesting and illustrated with applied and clinical facts that held the attention of the students. It was inevitable that the lecture notes that the staff produced to illustrate their lectures and practical classes should form the basis for more formal public interest and benefit from regular updating. Applied anatomy began to have a place in the clinical years of the veterinary degree course and supportive publications followed.
This book on the applied anatomy of the abdomen and pelvis originated from the lectures given by Tony King, Dr Keith Benson and myself. We were fortunate to be joined by Dr John Cox, a member of the clinical staff and an expert on mammalian reproduction. John made a valuable contribution to the chapters on pelvic anatomy, and I am grateful for his help and enthusiasm. The book contains a selection of diagrams to illustrate the text, and I am indebted to my wife, Dr Judith Skerritt, for her patience and skill in developing most of these. Finally, I needed help with the section on recent advances in diagnostic procedures particularly in equine patients. I am grateful to Dr Dave Stack for filling the gap. He is a clinician with particular experience of modern diagnostic techniques especially in regard to equine patients.
Geoff Skerritt
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my wife, Judith, for her constant support and for her input into the illustrations. Wife, Judith, a mathematician, gave invaluable help to the computerisation of many of the figures so that they would be correct. She has helped me with the anatomical illustrations. Her skilfull use of the computer brought invaluable results to many otherwise typical anatomical diagrams.
John Cox is retired but was a popular member of staff at the Liverpool Veterinary School, where he taught and researched reproduction of domestic animals. Tony King recognised John’s enthusiasm for teaching the clinical application of applied anatomy in the early years of the veterinary course. I am grateful to John for his contribution and advice in the area of pelvic anatomy.
Dave Stack is a more recent member of staff at Liverpool. I am grateful to him for his knowledgable contribution in equine reproduction and especially for his provision of photographic illustrations.
About the Author
Dr Geoff Skerritt, BVSc, FRSB, DipECVN, FRCVS
Dr Skerritt is a former lecturer in veterinary anatomy at the University of Liverpool and former principal at ChesterGates Veterinary Hospital, Chester. He was president of the British Veterinary Hospital Association from 2012 to 2014 and president of the European College of Veterinary Neurology from 1997 to 1990. He is a European Specialist in Veterinary Neurology, and he was a member of the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons 1997–2010 and chairman of the Specialisation and Further Education Committee.
About the Contributors
Dr John Cox, BSc, BVetMed, PhD, FRCVS, was formerly senior lecturer in veterinary science at the Universty of Liverpool, Leahurst. John provided the basis for chapters 15 and 16.
Dr John David Stack, MVB, MSc, FHEA, DipECVS, MRCVS is a senior lecturer in equine surgery at the University of Liverpool, Leahurst. David wrote the sections in chapter 18 on equine diagnostic imaging and laparoscopy.
Dr Judith O.Skerritt, BSc, MSc, PhD., Childer Thornton, Cheshire. She was formerly a partner and the business director of ChesterGates Veterinary Hospital.
About the Companion Website
This book is accompanied by a companion website.
www.wiley.com/go/skerritt/abdomen
This website includes:
Downloadable figure PowerPoint slides from the book.
Multiple‐choice questions to aid learning.
1 The Boundaries of the Abdomen
1.1 Introduction
The abdomen is the major cavity of the body in the domestic animals and human beings. It contains the gastrointestinal tract, the liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys and the ovaries together with most of the female reproductive tract. The abdomen is separated from the thorax cranially by the diaphragm and the caudal ribs; caudally it is continuous with the pelvic cavity.
Dorsally the abdomen is bounded by the vertebrae. Laterally and ventrally the boundaries of the abdomen comprise the abdominal wall, a soft tissue structure consisting of muscle, connective tissue and the layers of the skin. The abdominal wall is capable of stretching in the short term, as when the gastrointestinal tract is full of ingesta, and more gradually to accommodate the expanding uterus in pregnancy.
Apart from the important functions of containing and protecting the abdominal contents, the muscular components of the abdominal wall can aid in the expulsion of faeces, urine and foetuses. In addition, contraction of the abdominal muscles can assist in breathing, coughing and sneezing.
1.2 The Diaphragm (Figure 8.3)
The diaphragm is the musculotendinous structure that separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities. It is dome‐shaped with its apex pointing cranially. In the dog the diaphragm attaches to the sternum cranial to the xiphoid cartilage and to the medial surface of the 8th–13th ribs in the dog and cat. NB the horse has 18 pairs of ribs, ruminants 13, pigs 13–16. Dorsally the diaphragm attaches via the left and right crura to the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae. Dorsally the aorta, azygos vein and thoracic duct pass between the crura at the aortic hiatus. The oesophagus and the vagus nerves pass through the oesophageal hiatus located towards the centre of the diaphragm. The caval foramen (portal vena cava) is located on the right side of the central tendinous part of the diaphragm. Herniation of the diaphragm can occur as the result of trauma (see Section 1.7.4).
1.3 The Layers of the Abdominal Wall
Between the skin and the parietal peritoneum lie several layers of fascia and muscle. A proper appreciation of these layers, and the direction of their fibres, is important when making surgical incisions for entry
