Renal fascia

The renal fascia or Gerota's fascia is a layer of connective tissue encapsulating the kidneys and the adrenal glands. 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 (or perirenal fat), 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. The renal fascia or Gerota's fascia is a layer of connective tissue encapsulating the kidneys and the adrenal glands. 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 (or perirenal fat), 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. 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 (also known as Toldt's membrane) 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. This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1220 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)