Abdominal Wall Muscles
Muscle Origin
External Oblique Lower eight ribs, lateral to
anterior extremities
Lower four interdigitate
with latissimus dorsi
Upper four interdigitate
with serratus anterior
Internal Oblique Lumbar fascia,
intermediate area of the
anterior 2/3 of iliac crest,
lateral 2/3 of the inguinal
ligament
Insertion
Linea alba;
Crest of the pubic bone
(fibers arising from lateral
aspect of inguinal
ligament) and pectineal
line – forms conjoint
tendon along with
transversus
Action Comments
Free posterior border extending from
twelfth rib to outer lip of iliac crest. It
forms the anterior boundary of
lumbar triangle.
Aponeurosis starts below a line
joining anterior superior iliac spine to
umbilicus and medial to a vertical line
drawn from the tip of the ninth costal
cartilage.
Free horizontal upper border extends
from fifth rib to xiphisternum.
Lower border lying between anterior
superior iliac spine and pubic
tubercle – inguinal ligament.
Superficial inguinal ring – above and
lateral to pubic tubercle
Lacunar ligament – from medial side
of inguinal ligament to pectineal line
on the pubis
Reflected part of the inguinal
ligament
Intercrural fibers
Aponeurosis starts from a vertical
line drawn across the tip of the ninth
costal cartilage
Below costal margin aponeurosis
splits around rectus muscle and joins
again at linea alba
Arcuate line – posterior layer ends at
free margin

Transversus abdominis
Pubic crest + pectineal line + arcuate line = linea terminalis
Lateral 1/3 of inguinal
ligament, anterior 2/3 of
the inner lip of the iliac
crest, the lumbar fascia,
twelfth rib. Inner aspects
of the lower six costal
cartilages (interdigitate
with diaphragm)
Free lower border arches over
spermatic cord
Arching from lateral to medial and
from lying anteriorly to lying
posteriorly
Pass behind the rectus to In the upper part of the abdomen the
meet with linea alba outer margin of the aponeurosis is
Below arcuate line muscle more medial, and muscular fibres lie
fibres pass in front of behind the lateral part of rectus
rectus abdominis. The lower fibres of the
aponeurosis forms the conjoint
tendon along with internal oblique.