Organ
Right colic (hepatic) flexure
Colonic turn below the right liver
High-yield
This region links a usually fixed ascending colon to a more mobile transverse colon and lies next to duodenal and biliary structures.
Overview
The hepatic flexure turns the ascending colon into the transverse colon beneath the right hepatic lobe. It is close to the gallbladder, descending duodenum and right renal region. Its position and angle vary, though it is generally lower than the splenic flexure.
Reference facts
- Location
- Usually in the right upper abdomen beneath the liver, anterior to the right renal/duodenal region.
- Parts
- Bend joining ascending and transverse colonic segments.
- Blood supply
- Variable right-colic and middle-colic branches with contributions through the marginal arterial network.
- Innervation
- Midgut autonomic pathways through the superior mesenteric plexus, including vagal parasympathetic fibers.
- Relations
- Right liver and gallbladder superiorly; descending duodenum and right kidney are important posterior neighbors.
- Function
- Redirects contents into the transverse colon while participating in ordinary colonic absorption and transit.
Clinical correlation
Inflammatory adherence between gallbladder and colon can create a cholecystocolic fistula. A stone entering the colon may pass onward, but large stones or an underlying narrowed segment can still cause large-bowel obstruction.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the right colic (hepatic) flexure located?
Usually in the right upper abdomen beneath the liver, anterior to the right renal/duodenal region.
What does the right colic (hepatic) flexure do?
Redirects contents into the transverse colon while participating in ordinary colonic absorption and transit.
What are the parts of the right colic (hepatic) flexure?
The parts of the right colic (hepatic) flexure are the bend joining ascending and transverse colonic segments.
What is the blood supply of the right colic (hepatic) flexure?
The right colic (hepatic) flexure is supplied by the variable right-colic and middle-colic branches with contributions through the marginal arterial network.