The superficial inguinal ring is the external opening of the inguinal canal, a triangular slit in the external oblique aponeurosis just above and lateral to the pubic tubercle. Its edges are the medial and lateral crura, held together at the top by intercrural fibres.
| Location | Just above and lateral to the pubic tubercle. |
|---|---|
| Boundaries |
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| Contents |
Forms the external exit of the inguinal canal.
The examiner's finger can be pushed into the superficial ring through the scrotal skin to feel a hernia cough impulse. A hernia emerging through it lies above and medial to the pubic tubercle, which helps distinguish it from a femoral hernia. The ilioinguinal nerve exits through it and can be injured in hernia surgery.
Both direct and indirect hernias may emerge through this opening, producing a lump above and medial to the pubic tubercle.
Damage to the nerve near the ring during hernia repair, causing numbness or chronic pain in the groin and upper scrotum or labium.
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