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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 31, 2025

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Umbilicus and the rectus sheath: a study using human fetuses.

Dongyuan Xu¹, Zhe Wu Jin^2,3, Ji Hyun Kim⁴

¹Center of Morphological Experiment, Medical College of Yanbian University, Yanji, China.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy : SRA

|January 4, 2020

Summary

The rectus sheath, not the linea alba, connects to the newborn umbilicus. Rectus muscle contraction, not elasticity, aids umbilical cord closure after birth.

Keywords:

Fibrous umbilical ring Rectus abdominis Rectus sheath Umbilical hernia Umbilicus

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Area of Science:

Embryology
Anatomy
Developmental Biology

Background:

The newborn umbilicus is a scar formed from a fibrous ring.
Its connection to the linea alba is established, but a link with the rectus sheath was not previously hypothesized.
Limited descriptions exist regarding umbilical development and growth.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the developmental connection between the rectus sheath and the umbilicus.
To understand the structural contributions to umbilical closure.

Main Methods:

Histological examination of 28 human fetuses.
Fetuses ranged from 8 to 40 weeks of gestation.
Specific age groups included 8 weeks, 10-14 weeks, and 31-40 weeks.

Main Results:

The rectus sheath forms a fibrous band around the umbilical cord by 31-40 weeks.
The sheath connects to the umbilical ring, with specific attachments at the superior, lateral, and inferior rims.
The inferior rim shows a gradual insertion into the border between skin epidermis and cord covering.
The developing umbilical ring has minimal elastic fibers.

Conclusions:

The rectus sheath is tightly connected to the umbilicus at birth, rather than the linea alba.
Rectus muscle contraction, not elasticity, is crucial for umbilical closure post-birth.
The fetal rectus sheath connects to the umbilical skin at the inferior rim.