Organ
Left colic (splenic) flexure
Colonic bend near the spleen and an arterial border zone
High-yield
The splenic-flexure region is a potential watershed between superior and inferior mesenteric inflow. The strength of the marginal arterial connection varies.
Overview
At the left colic flexure, the transverse colon turns into the descending colon beneath the spleen. The bend is usually higher and more posterior than its right counterpart and is supported by nearby peritoneal attachments. It lies where middle colic and left colic arterial territories approach one another.
Reference facts
- Location
- Usually high in the left upper abdomen, near the spleen and anterior to the left renal region.
- Parts
- The bend between the transverse and descending colon, joining a mobile segment to a usually fixed one.
- Blood supply
- Contributions from left middle-colic and ascending left-colic branches through variable marginal connections.
- Innervation
- Autonomic pathways change across the distal transverse/left-colonic region; the transition is not a sharply visible neural line at the flexure.
- Relations
- Spleen and pancreatic tail nearby superiorly/posteriorly; phrenicocolic and related peritoneal attachments support the region.
- Function
- Redirects colonic contents from a transverse course into the descending segment.
Clinical correlation
Reduced perfusion can injure this border zone, although ischemic colitis is not restricted to it. Tension transmitted through splenic attachments during colonic mobilization can also tear the splenic capsule.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the left colic (splenic) flexure located?
Usually high in the left upper abdomen, near the spleen and anterior to the left renal region.
What does the left colic (splenic) flexure do?
Redirects colonic contents from a transverse course into the descending segment.
What are the parts of the left colic (splenic) flexure?
The bend between the transverse and descending colon, joining a mobile segment to a usually fixed one.
What is the blood supply of the left colic (splenic) flexure?
The left colic (splenic) flexure is supplied by the contributions from left middle-colic and ascending left-colic branches through variable marginal connections.