Groin region

The Groin region is part of the abdominal wall and connects the pelvis with the thighs. The groin takes on supporting functions and holds the abdominal organs in the abdominal cavity. In the case of hernias, the abdominal organs pass through the inguinal canal.

What is the groin region?

In the groin region of humans, the abdomen and thighs merge. This means that the groin is the lower side of the abdominal wall, so to speak. In other mammals, this region forms the posterior part of the abdominal wall. In its upper region, the groin region of every person forms the connecting line between the two perineal crests of the pelvis.

These two ridges are also the upper limit of the bar. In animals, on the other hand, the bar forms a connecting line for the front end of the hip, which limits the bar towards the top. The lateral border of the human groin and, in animals, the front border of the groin is formed by the pelvis itself. The lateral contour of the straight abdominal muscle defines the middle border. Towards the bottom, the groin region borders on the pubic region, which lies between the groin, so to speak.

Anatomy & structure

The facia lata is attached cranially to the groin via the so-called inguinal ligament. This is a layer of connective tissue in the thigh that extends down from the inguinal ligament. This connective tissue covering is covered by fatty tissue. The so-called inguinal lymph nodes with their vascular system are located in the groin region below the facia lata.

Overall, the groin region consists of various compartments, which are mainly delimited in depth by connective tissue septa. The most important compartments are the lacuna musculorum, also known as the lateral compartment of the groin. The lacuna vasorum, on the other hand, forms the medial compartment. Several arteries and veins run through the superficial structure of the groin. The so-called inguinal canal is considered a natural weak point in the groin region. The inner opening of the inguinal canal is also known as the inner inguinal ring and the outer one is known as the outer inguinal ring.

Function & tasks

The groin region mainly takes on supporting tasks. It creates the connection between the pelvis and the legs and has a stabilizing function. The inguinal ligament is used, for example, to suspend the connective tissue sheaths on both legs. The so-called adductors are also located here. These are the thigh muscles that allow the legs to be pulled up.

They are stabilized by tendons and protected by the connective tissue covering. Since the groin region basically makes up the lower side of the abdominal wall, it also serves to protect the abdominal organs. These organs encompass the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, spleen and intestines as well as the stomach. The groin holds the contents of the abdominal cavity within the abdominal wall. The inguinal lymph nodes of the groin region also have important functions in the body. You mainly receive the lymph flow from the legs, the external genitals and the buttocks region. Like all lymph nodes, those in the groin are part of the immune system.

They therefore play an increased role in the defense against infections and also protect the surrounding tissue from inflammation. The inguinal canal fulfills different tasks for both sexes. In men, the inguinal canal contains one spermatic cord. In women, however, the mother ligament is contained in this structure. In ungulates, the groin has an even more important role to play in this context. This is where the udder of female ungulates is located. In goat species, a sebum gland is also attached to the side.

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Diseases

The inguinal hernia is probably the best-known disease of the groin area.This phenomenon is also known as a hernia. Because of the weak point in the inguinal canal, the groin is vulnerable to such phenomena. In the case of hernias, the abdominal viscera passes through the inguinal canal above the inguinal ligament. The hernial port of a direct hernia lies in the Hesselbach triangle, a muscle-free and therefore extremely unstable region of the abdominal wall. Men are more prone to hernias than women.

In embryonic development, the man's testicles pass through the inguinal canal, so that their groin area is often looser from birth than in women. Not all groin complaints are caused by a hernia. Injuries or overloading of muscles and tendons in the pelvic area or the hips and thighs are often responsible for pain in the groin region. Symptoms in the hip joints can also radiate to the groin area, such as arthrosis or necrosis. Sometimes varicose veins also form in the groin, which can also cause pain. Swelling in the groin region can indicate an inguinal hernia.

On the other hand, the inguinal lymph nodes can also cause swelling. This happens, for example, with inflammation of the surrounding tissue. The same goes for infections or general immune reactions. In rarer cases, the inguinal lymph nodes are also affected by tumors. Women often experience groin pain after giving birth. In most cases, these symptoms are related to birth-related loosening of the waist ring. Sometimes groin pain is preceded by fractures of the pubic or ischium.

In still other cases, testicular pain radiates onto the groin or the general body statics are disturbed. In the latter case, improper loading occurs, which both damages the joints and causes groin pain.