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Updated: Jun 28, 2026
Technique of Porcine Liver Procurement and Orthotopic Transplantation using an Active Porto-Caval Shunt
Published on: May 7, 2015
[The center of the human porta hepatis]
Saulius Rutkauskas1, Vytautas Gedrimas, Tomas Cicinskas
1Department of Radiology, Kaunas, Lithuania. saulius.rutkauskas@delfi.lt
Insights
The study precisely mapped the porta hepatis location on the liver
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Surgical Anatomy
Background:
- Interventional procedures frequently target the porta hepatis.
- Accurate anatomical knowledge of the porta hepatis is crucial for surgical precision.
Purpose of the Study:
- To precisely define the anatomical location of the porta hepatis on the visceral surface of the liver.
- To establish quantitative measurements relating the porta hepatis center to liver lobe borders.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 64 human livers from autopsy for anatomical analysis.
- Measured distances from the porta hepatis center to visceral surface and lobe borders.
- Recorded angles of key anatomical structures surrounding the porta hepatis.
Main Results:
- The porta hepatis center is approximately 11.6 cm from the visceral liver surface border.
- Distances to specific lobe borders (left, quadrate, right, caudate) were quantified.
- Significant angular measurements for surrounding fissures and fossae were determined.
Conclusions:
- Precise characterization of the porta hepatis center aids in defining its position on the liver's visceral surface.
- These anatomical data can enhance the safety and accuracy of liver interventions.
Unlabelled:
Majority of interventional procedures are made at the porta hepatis, which has a different location on the visceral surface of the liver.
Objective:
To describe the location of the porta hepatis in respect of the borders of the visceral surface and separate lobes of the liver.
Material And Methods:
Sixty-four human livers were obtained at autopsy (mean age, 45 years). We chose the point of the crossing of longitudinal and transversal lines of the porta hepatis, which was considered as center of the porta hepatis. The distances from the center of the porta hepatis to the border of the visceral surface every 10 degrees with protractor and ruler and the angles of anatomical structures were measured. Additionally, the borders of lobes were assessed.
Results:
We found that center of the porta hepatis is located approximately 11.6+/-2.8 cm from the border of the visceral liver surface. The location of center of the porta hepatis was 11.6+/-1.1 cm from the border of left lobe, 9.7+/-1.5 cm from the border of quadrate lobe, 12.3+/-1.2 cm from the border of right lobe, and 7.4+/-1.0 cm from the border of caudate lobe. All distances were statistically significant (P<0.05). An angle of the fissure for round ligament was 50.5 degrees , of the fossa of gallbladder - 102 degrees , of the groove of vena cava inferior - 266 degrees , and of the fissure for ligamentum venosum - 293 degrees . The borders of the right, left, quadrate, and caudate liver lobe covered 45.6%, 32.6%, 14.3%, and 7.5% of the perimeter of visceral surface border, respectively.
Conclusions:
The center of the porta hepatis can help to characterize precisely the position of the porta hepatis on the visceral surface of the liver.
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