The Development and Anatomy of the Mesentery

The development and anatomy of the mesentery were recently clarified. The mesentery is the organ in and on which all abdominal digestive organs develop and then remain directly connected to. In turn, this leads to a clarification of the organisation of the abdomen in the Mesenteric Model of Abdominal Anatomy. According to that model, all organs of the abdomen are organised into one of two discrete anatomical domains. The mesenteric domain contains all abdominal digestive organs positioned on the mesenteric frame. The non-mesenteric domain comprises all genitourinary organs positioned on the musculoskeletal mainframe of the abdomen. All abdominal disease follows the Mesenteric Model in terms of its distribution. Inflammation accounts for many of the manifestations of abdominal disease (i.e. peritonism, collections, abscess formation) and the anatomical distribution of inflammation (as well as its consequences) is explained by this model and not by conventional models of abdominal anatomy. Thus, it is essential to clarify the development and anatomy of the mesentery, and the implications these have for our understanding of the organisation of the abdomen.