Aortic hiatus

Aortic hiatus
Aortic hiatus
	The diaphragm. Under surface. (Aortic hiatus labeled near center.)
	Celiac and cranial mesenteric ganglion in a cat. 1 Crus sinistrum (Diaphragma), 2 hiatus aorticus, 3 Aorta, 4 Arteria lumbalis, 5 Nervus splanchnicus major, 6 Arteria coeliaca, 7 , 8 Ganglion coeliacum, 9 Plexus coeliacus, 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 Nervus splanchnicus minor, 14 Adrenal gland, 15 , 16 Stomach, 17 Liver (Lobus caudatus), 18 Kidney
Details
Identifiers
Latin	hiatus aorticus
TA98	A04.4.02.010
TA2	2342
FMA	58288
	Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

The aortic hiatus is a hole in the diaphragm. It is the lowest and most posterior of the large apertures.

It is located approximately at the level of the twelfth thoracic vertebra (T12).

Structure[]

Strictly speaking, it is not an aperture in the diaphragm but an osseoaponeurotic opening between it and the vertebral column, and therefore behind the diaphragm (meaning that diaphragmatic contractions do not directly influence the aorta or aortic supply).

Occasionally some tendinous fibers prolonged across the bodies of the vertebræ from the medial parts of the inferior ends of the crura pass posterior to the aorta, and thus convert the hiatus into a fibrous ring.

The hiatus is situated slightly to the left of the mid line, and is bound anteriorly by the crura, and posteriorly by the body of the first lumbar vertebra.

Structures passing through[]

The structures that pass through the aortic hiatus are the aorta, the azygous vein and the thoracic duct.

Additional images[]

The thoracic and right lymphatic ducts.

External links[]

Anatomy photo:40:08-0103 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Major Openings in the Diaphragm"
Anatomy image:8906 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center

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