FASCIA
Fascia is a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily
collagen, beneath the skin that attaches to, stabilizes, encloses,
and separates muscles and other internal organs.
Fascia is made up of fibrous connective tissue containing
closely packed bundles of collagen fibres oriented in a wavy
pattern parallel to the direction of pull. Fascia is flexible and
able to resist great unidirectional tension forces until the wavy
pattern of fibers has been straightened out by the pulling
force. Collagen fibers are produced by fibroblasts located
within the fascia.
Fascia are similar to ligaments and tendons as they have
collagen as their major component. Fasciae surround muscles
and other structures.
Fascia is classified by layer as
➢ Superficial fascia
➢ Deep fascia
Fascia is classified by its function as
➢ Visceral or Parietal Fascia
Superficial Fascia
It is the lowermost layer of the skin that blends with
reticular dermis layer. It consists of mainly loose areolar and
fatty adipose connective tissue and is the layer that primarily
determines the shape of the body.
In addition to its subcutaneous presence superficial
fascia surrounds organs, glands, neurovascular bundles.
It serves as a storage medium of fat and water, as a
passageway for lymph, nerve and blood vessels and as a
protective padding to cushion and insulate.
Superficial fascia is present, but does not
contain fat, in the eyelid, ear, scrotum, penis and clitoris.
Due to its viscoelastic properties, superficial fascia
can stretch to accommodate the deposition of adipose that
accompanies ordinary and prenatal weight gain. After
pregnancy and weight loss, the superficial fascia slowly
reverts to its original level of tension
DEEP FASCIA
Deep fascia is a layer of dense fibrous connective tissue which
surrounds individual muscle, and also divides group of
muscles in to fascial compartments.
Deep fascia has a high density of elastin fibre that
determines its extensibility or resilience. It has a rich presence
of thin blood vessels. Deep fascia is also richly supplied with
sensory receptors.
Examples of deep fascia are Tensor fascialata, fascia cruris,
brachial fascia, plantar fascia, thoracolumbar fascia and
Buck’s fascia
VISCERAL FASCIA
Visceral fascia also called subserous fascia suspends the
organs within their cavities and wraps them in layers of
connective tissue membranes. Each of the organs is covered
in a double layer of fascia these layers are separated by a thin
serous membrane.
The outermost wall of the organ is known as the parital
layer
The skin of the organ is known as the visceral layer. The
organs have specialized names for their visceral fasciae. In the
brain they are known as meninges, in the heart known as
pricardia, in the lungs known as pleurae and in the abdomen
known as peritonea.
Visceral fascia is less extensible than superficial fascia.
Due to its suspensory role of the organs, it needs to maintain
its tone rather consistently. If it is too lax, it contributes to
organ prolapse, if it is hypertonic, it restricts proper organ
motility.
FUNCTION
➢ Muscle fasciae reduce friction of muscular force
➢ Fasciae provide a supportive and movable wrapping for
nerves and blood vessels as they pass through or between
muscles
➢ Fascial tissue are frequently innervated by sensory nerve
endings. include myelinated and un myelinated nerves,
so fascia is involving in proprioceptive and nociceptive
function
➢ Fascial tissue particularly those with tendinous or
aponeurotic properties are able to store and release
elastic potential energy
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Clinical importance arises when fascia become too stiff
or has decreased shearing ability
When inflammatory fasciitis or trauma causes fibrosis
and adhesions, fascial tissue fails to differentiate the
adjacent structures effectively. This can happen after
surgery where the fascia has been incised and healing
includes a scar that traverses the surrounding structures.
Fascial compartment
Is a section within the body that contains muscles and
nerves and is surrounded by fascia.
In human body the limbs can each be divided in to
two segments the upper limb can be divided into the arm
and the forearm and the sectional compartments of both
of these-the fascial compartments of the arm and the
fascial compartments of the forearm contain anterior
posterior compartment. Like, the lower limb divided into
two segments the leg and thigh and these contain the
fascial compartment of the leg and the fascial
compartments of thigh.
A fasciotomy used to relieve compartment
syndrome as a result of high pressure within a fascial
compartment.
