Aortic hiatus
The aortic hiatus is one of the three major apertures through the diaphragm and lies at the level of T12. Strictly speaking, it is not a real aperture in the diaphragm, but an osseoaponeurotic opening between it and the vertebral column.
The hiatus is situated slightly to the left of the midline and is bounded anteriorly by the crura and posteriorly by L1.
A number of structures pass through the aortic hiatus:
The vertebral levels of the 3 main diaphragmatic apertures can be remembered by this mnemonic.
Related Radiopaedia articles
Anatomy: Thoracic
- thoracic skeleton
- thoracic cage
- thoracic spine
- articulations
- muscles of the thorax
- diaphragm
- intercostal space
- intercostal muscles
- variant anatomy
- spaces of the thorax
- thoracic viscera
- tracheobronchial tree
-
lungs
-
bronchopulmonary segmental anatomy (Boyden Classification) (mnemonic)
- left lung
- right lung
- variant anatomy
- lung parenchyma
- hilum
- pleura
-
bronchopulmonary segmental anatomy (Boyden Classification) (mnemonic)
-
heart
- cardiac chambers
- heart valves
- pectinate muscles
- cardiac fibrous skeleton
- coronary arteries
- innervation of the heart
- fetal circulation
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pericardium
- pericardial space
- oblique pericardial sinus
- transverse pericardial sinus
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pericardial recesses
- aortic recesses
- pulmonic recesses
- postcaval recess
- pulmonary venous recesses
- pericardial ligaments
- epicardial fat pad
- esophagus
- thymus
- breast
- blood supply of the thorax
- arteries
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thoracic aorta (development)
- ascending aorta
- aortic arch
- aortic isthmus
- descending aorta
- pulmonary trunk
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thoracic aorta (development)
- veins
- superior vena cava (cavoatrial junction)
- inferior vena cava
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coronary veins
- cardiac veins which drain into the coronary sinus
- great cardiac vein
- middle cardiac vein
- small cardiac vein
- posterior vein of the left ventricle
- vein of Marshall (oblique vein of the left atrium)
- anterior cardiac veins
- venae cordis minimae (smallest cardiac veins or thebesian veins)
- cardiac veins which drain into the coronary sinus
- pulmonary veins
- arteries
- lymphatics
- innervation of the thorax
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