Mesentery - a 'New' organ.

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Embryology
• Surgical Science

Background:

• The mesentery was historically considered fragmented, with multiple connections to the posterior midline.
• Recent surgical advancements have spurred renewed interest in the mesentery's structure and function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in understanding the mesentery.
• To highlight the reclassification of the mesentery as a single, continuous organ.
• To explain the implications of this new understanding for human biology and clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature and advancements in colorectal surgery.
• Analysis of embryological development and adult anatomical relationships.
• Integration of findings to propose a new model of abdominal anatomy.

Main Results:

• The mesentery is a continuous structure distal to the duodenojejunal flexure, connecting the small and large intestines.
• Abdominal digestive organs develop on or within the mesentery and remain connected to it throughout life.
• A mesenteric model of abdominal anatomy is proposed, organizing organs into mesenteric and non-mesenteric domains.

Conclusions:

• The mesentery should be recognized as a single organ, crucial for maintaining the continuity of abdominal digestive organs.
• The mesenteric model provides a unified framework for understanding abdominal anatomy, vasculature, and the peritoneal landscape.
• These advances are re-orienting the study of human biology and impacting clinical practice.