Inguinal triangle

Inguinal triangle
Internal (from posterior to anterior) view of right inguinal area of the male pelvis. Inguinal triangle is labeled in green. The three surrounding structures: inferior epigastric vessels: Run from upper left to center. inguinal ligament: Runs from upper right to bottom left. rectus abdominis muscle: Runs from upper left to bottom left, labeled rectus at upper left.
External view. Inguinal triangle is labeled in green. Borders: inferior epigastric artery and vein: labeled at center left, and run from upper right to bottom center. inguinal ligament: not labeled on diagram, but runs a similar path to the inguinal aponeurotic falx, labeled at bottom. rectus abdominis muscle: runs from upper left to bottom left.
Details
Identifiers
Latin	trigonum inguinale
TA98	A10.1.02.433
TA2	3795
FMA	256506
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

In human anatomy, the inguinal triangle is a region of the abdominal wall. It is also known by the eponym Hesselbach's triangle, after Franz Kaspar Hesselbach.

It is defined by the following structures:

• Medial border: Lateral margin of the rectus sheath.^[1][2]
• Superolateral border: Inferior epigastric vessels.^[1][2]
• Inferior border: Inguinal ligament.^[1][2]

This can be remembered by the mnemonic RIP (Rectus sheath (medial), Inferior epigastric artery (lateral), Poupart's ligament (inguinal ligament, inferior).

The inguinal triangle contains a depression referred to as the medial inguinal fossa, through which direct inguinal hernias protrude through the abdominal wall.^[3]

The inguinal triangle is also known as Hesselbach's triangle, after Franz Kaspar Hesselbach.^[2]

• Terms for anatomical location
• Inguinal hernia surgery