Dissection of anterior aspect of vertebral column

Lumbar region.

Stanford holds the copyright to the David L. Bassett anatomical images and has assigned Creative Commons license Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International to all of the images.
For additional information regarding use and permissions, please contact the Medical History Center.

Image #221-2

Dissection of anterior aspect of vertebral column

Lumbar region.

The left quadratus lumborum muscle (20) has been exposed. The muscle has been dissected to trace incoming branches from the lumbar nerves that supply it. The psoas major has been detached from its spinal origins but has not been deflected.

1. Kidney right
2. Right diaphragmatic crus
3. Intervertebral disc L. II - III
4. Lumbar veins
5. Lumbar artery
6. Sympathetic trunk (pointer on lumbar ganglion)
7. Ramus communicans
8. Body of vertebral IV (pointer on anterior longitudinal ligament)
9. Abdominal aorta
10. Branch of subcostal nerve to quadratus lumborum
11. Subcostal nerve
12. Rib XII
13. Diaphragm
14. Upper pointer: Iliohypogastric nerve (cut off) Lower pointer: Ilioinguinal nerve (cut off)
15. Branch of 1st lumbar nerve to quadratus lumborum
16. Upper pointer: Muscular branch of lumbar artery Lower pointer: Branch of 2nd lumbar nerve to quadratus lumborum
17. Tip of 12th costal cartilage
18. Location of transverse process of vertebra L. III
19. Psoas major muscle
20. Quadratus lumborum muscle
21. Branch of 4th lumbar nerve to quadratus lumborum
22. Lateral femoral cutaneus nerve
23. Quadratus lumborum muscle (lowest fascicle)