Aortic hiatus

Aortic hiatus
Aortic hiatus
	The diaphragm. Under surface. (Aortic hiatus labeled near center.)
	Celiac and cranial mesenteric ganglion in a cat. 1 Crus sinistrum (Diaphragma), 2 hiatus aorticus, 3 Aorta, 4 Arteria lumbalis, 5 Nervus splanchnicus major, 6 Arteria coeliaca, 7 Arteria phrenica caudalis, 8 Ganglion coeliacum, 9 Plexus coeliacus, 10 Ganglion mesentericum craniale, 11 Plexus mesentericus cranialis, 12 Arteria mesenterica cranialis, 13 Nervus splanchnicus minor, 14 Adrenal gland, 15 Arteria abdominalis cranialis, 16 Stomach, 17 Liver (Lobus caudatus), 18 Kidney
Details
Identifiers
Latin	hiatus aorticus
TA98	A04.4.02.010
TA2	2342
FMA	58288
	Anatomical terminology

The aortic hiatus is a midline^[1]^: 185 opening in the posterior part of the diaphragm giving passage to the descending aorta as well as the thoracic duct, and variably the azygos and hemiazygos veins.^[2] It is the lowest and most posterior of the large apertures.^{[citation needed]}

It is located at the level of the inferior border of the twelfth thoracic vertebra (T12),^[2] posterior to the median arcuate ligament^[2]^[1]^: 185 between the two crura of the diaphragm.^[2]

^ ^a ^b Sinnatamby, Chummy S. (2011). Last's Anatomy (12th ed.). ISBN 978-0-7295-3752-0.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Moore, Keith L.; Dalley, Arthur F.; Agur, Anne M. R. (2017). Essential Clinical Anatomy. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 536. ISBN 978-1496347213.