The inferior and superior epigastric arteries lie deep to, or within, the rectus abdominal muscles. If these muscles contract suddenly then the epigastric arteries may be torn. The haematoma that develops within the muscle causes pain and swelling.
Although it is usual to conclude that haematomata in the rectus sheath arise from tears of the epigastric arteries, they may also be caused by tears of the muscle fibres with damage to the very small nutrient vessels.
Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.