Description
Fascia is a general term to describe large sheaths of connective tissue that are discernible by the naked eye. It is a dense, fibrous tissue with fibers orientated parallel to one another.
In the musculoskeletal system, there is generally a superficial facial layer (subcutaneous tissue [TA] or hypodermis) that sits between the skin and the deep membranous fascia that surrounds the underlying muscular layer. The deep fascia extends around individual muscles (investing fascia), and around groups of muscles and thus dividing them into compartments (intermuscular septa). The composition and presence of the subcutaneous and deep membranous layers vary according to the region of the body (Standring, 2016). Fascia may be defined in relation to the viscera that it surrounds.
Thickened condensations of fascia are often termed ligaments and are not to be confused with the ligaments that connect bone to bone. Larger neurovascular bundles are sometimes contained within a fascial sheath, such as the carotid or femoral sheaths.
Related parts of the anatomy
References
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41st edn.: Elsevier Limited.
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Fascia
The term fascia represents a form of connective tissue that is widely distributed throughout the body and composed of irregular, interwoven collagenous fiber bundles of varying density.
