The inguinal canal is a passage in the anterior abdomenal wall which in men conveys the spermatic cord and in woman the round ligament. The inguinal canal is larger and more prominent in men.
Its floor and front wall are formed from a slip of external oblique muscle at its lower margin. The back wall is formed by internal oblique muscle and the conjoint tendon made up of internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles.
The inguinal canal in women seldom leads to medical problems owing to its small size. In men, an inguinal hernia may occur, in which abdomenal contents (usually the intestine) push through the canal's opening. These may direct or indirect, depending upon whether the contents impinge directly through the abdominal wall, or course through the length of the canal, respectively.
