[Morphological and structural variations of the human inguinal region (author's transl)].

In the inguinal region, numerous muscular and fibrous alterations are described. They are related to the unconstant position of the pubic tubercle in relation io the interspinous diameter (linea bi-spinalis). The pubic tubercle can be observed in two different locations: either high or low. The high location is characterized by the presence of the pubic tubercle at a distance of 5 to 7.5 cm below the interspinous diameter. It must be considered as normal and is found in 65% of the subjects. In the low locations, the distance between spinous tubercle and interspinous diameter reaches 7,5 to 12 cm. It is an important abnormality which interests 35% of the subjects. The lower the pubic tubercle are located, the more often morphological alterations are to be found in the following structures: obliquus externus, obliquus internus, transversus and cremaster muscles as well as fascia transversalis. Nevertheless, the pyramidalis muscle as well as the inguinal ligamentary formation, Hesselbach's interfoveolar ligament and Thompson's iliopubic tract do not follow that rule, since the important morphological variations of these deep fibrous components can never be related to the distance between pubic tubercle and interspinous diameter. The functional signification of the inguinal region and especially of the inguinal canal is modified by those ostelogical, muscular and ligamentary variations.