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Abdominal cavity
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025
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The abdominal cavity is the largest cavity in the human body, located between the thoracic cavity at the top and the pelvic cavity at the bottom. The abdominal cavity is limited at the top by the diaphragm, at the back by the lumbar spine, the quadratus lumborum muscles, the iliopsoas muscles, and at the front and sides by the abdominal muscles. At the bottom, the abdominal cavity continues into the pelvic cavity, which is limited at the bottom by the pelvic diaphragm.
The abdominal cavity contains the stomach, small intestine, large intestine (except the rectum), liver, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, adrenal glands, ureters, and the pelvic cavity contains the rectum, urinary system organs, and internal genital organs. In addition, on the back wall of the abdominal cavity, in front of the bodies of the lumbar vertebrae, there is the abdominal part of the aorta, the inferior vena cava, and nerve plexuses, lymphatic vessels, and nodes.
The inner surface of the abdominal cavity is lined with the intra-abdominal fascia (fascia endoabdominalis), or retroperitoneal fascia (fascia subperitonealis, s.extraperitonealis), the areas of which are named depending on the name of the muscles it covers. The parietal peritoneum is adjacent to the inner surface of this fascia.
The abdominal cavity as a whole can be seen only by removing the peritoneum and internal organs. Between the peritoneum and the intraperitoneal fascia there is fatty tissue. There is especially much of it on the back wall of the abdominal cavity, near the internal organs located there. The space between the fascia and the peritoneum on the back abdominal wall is called the retroperitoneal space (spatium retroperitonealis). It is filled with fatty tissue and organs.
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