The right crus is the larger and longer of the two diaphragmatic crura, a tendinous band arising from the bodies and discs of L1-L3. Its fibres pass upwards and forwards, and many of them split to encircle the oesophagus at the oesophageal hiatus at about T10. Its medial border joins the left crus through the median arcuate ligament in front of the aorta.
| Muscle | |
|---|---|
| Attachment | Anterior bodies and intervertebral discs of L1-L3 |
Anchors the diaphragm to the lumbar spine and forms the margins of the oesophageal hiatus
The right crus forms a sling around the lower oesophagus that contributes to the antireflux barrier at the gastro-oesophageal junction. Widening of the hiatus between the crural fibres allows hiatus hernia, and crural repair is part of hiatus hernia surgery and fundoplication. On CT the thickened crus can mimic a retrocrural mass or enlarged lymph node.
Laxity or separation of the crural fibres around the oesophageal hiatus allows the stomach to slide or roll into the chest.
Blunt abdominal trauma can tear the diaphragm including its crural part, allowing abdominal contents to herniate into the thorax.
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