hi everyone this is dr fox let's talk about the kidney the kidneys as you know are
found within the retroperitoneal space and the retroperitoneal space may be further subdivided
into smaller spaces in particular with respect to this session we'll show you the anterior and
posterior pararenal spaces as well as the peri-renal space so the pera renal spaces
are the regions of the retroperitoneum which are found superficial to the renal fascia
so in this photograph we can see that this individual has grabbed a hold of the renal fascia
and is pulling it laterally demonstrating some of its elasticity so anything outside of this space
is going to be the anterior para renal space and some of the organs of the digestive system which
are retroperitoneal such as the duodenum and the pancreas can be found in this
anterior perirenal space as well as copious amounts of adipose connective tissue which
have largely been removed for the purposes of this photograph the posterior perirenal space is found
posterior to the peri-renal space and renal fascia and is
a space devoid of viscera and only contains adipose connective tissue
here we can see a similar view as in the last photograph with the renal fascia or
peri-renal fascia incised and removed so this region here would be a part of the anterior
para renal space and would be filled with adipose connective tissue in vivo and this area here
that i'm shading is within the peri renal space i always think of it peri is inside the renal fascia
and this is the adipose connective tissue which is enveloping the kidney and this space is contiguous
with the renal sinus which is found deep through the hilum of the kidney
we can see some of the other contents of the peri-renal space while we're here such as the
supra-renal or adrenal gland as well as the ureter there so here is the star of our show
this is the kidney that i'm outlining we can see the convex lateral border and we can see the
medial border here with its hilum and the hyler contents i can see a very beautiful right
renal vein as well as a right renal artery and an accessory right renal artery which is hyler
because it's going into the serve the kidney at the hilum i can also see this
beautiful renal fibrous capsule that that connective tissue which is
surrounding the parenchyma of the kidney so the kidney parenchyma as you recall consists of an
outer cortex and an inner medulla the outer cortex is going to consist of the cortical arches
and the renal columns the columns are the spaces that interleave between the medulla the medulla
is organized into pyramids here we call them pyramids but they're really conical
in nature and the apices of the pyramids are the renal papillae and here we can see a renal papilla
surrounded by a minor calyx so as you may recall at that apex of the pyramid at that renal papilla
we have the end of all of the physiological functions of the nephron and its tubules and
collecting ducts and the filtrate is unambiguously urine for the conduction away from the kidney
this space here
in which we have branches of the renal artery so segmental arteries and interlobar arteries
as well as veins which are not pictured here as well as elements of the excretory pathway
so minor calyces and some major calyces is the renal sinus so that renal sinus
is going to be everything beyond the so the space beyond the hilum
of the kidney surrounded by parenchyma through which neurovasculature as well as peri-renal
adipose connective tissue is going to be found so specifically with the excretory pathway
that begins with the minor calyces we can see two very nice minor calyces surrounding renal papilla
here and these are going to coalesce into major calyces uh generally there are three or four minor
calyces per major calyx and two to three major calyces per um kidney there we have another major
calyx coming down and where these major calyces coalesce is the renal pelvis
so here is that renal pelvis and that is going to be contiguous with the ureter
the ureters will conduct that urine down through the retroperitoneum in to the pelvic cavity
and through the wall of the urinary bladder so we've discussed where the kidneys are located
uh the different components of the retroperitoneum which are germane to this session
as well as the elements of the kidney itself thank you very much for your time