Renal fascia


The renal fascia is a layer of connective tissue encapsulating the kidneys and the adrenal glands. It can be divided into:
The renal fascia separates the adipose capsule of kidney from the overlying pararenal fat. The deeper layers below the renal fascia are, in order, the adipose capsule, the renal capsule and finally the parenchyma of the renal cortex. The spaces about the kidney are typically divided into three compartments: the perinephric space and the anterior and posterior pararenal spaces.

Anterior renal fascia

The anterior fascia and posterior fascia fuse laterally to form the lateroconal fascia which fuses with the transverse fascia.
In front of the fascia anterior to the perinephric space is the anterior pararenal space, which contains the pancreas, ascending and descending colon, and second through fourth parts of the duodenum. The fascia posterior to the perinephric space was named Zuckerkandl's fascia. Posterior to this lies the posterior paranephric space which does not contain any abdominal organs.

Posterior renal fascia

Zuckerkandl's fascia or fascia retrorenalis is a fibrous sheath covering the posterior side of the kidney. It constitutes the posterior layer of the renal fascia and was first described by Emil Zuckerkandl in 1883.

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