How is the lateral border of the kidney defined?

How is the lateral border of the kidney defined?

• A. With a vertical fissure as the hilum of the kidney
• B. By a horizontal groove
• C. By a vertical fissure
• D. By a rounded border

Answer: (C)

The outside edge of the kidney on the lateral side is a smooth, rounded, convex border. The hilum, where vessels and the ureter enter and exit, sits on the medial border and is described as a vertical fissure or notch facing the renal sinus. Because the hilum is medial, the lateral border is not defined by a fissure. So the lateral border’s defining feature is its rounded contour, whereas the vertical fissure relates to the medial border at the hilum.

The outside edge of the kidney on the lateral side is a smooth, rounded, convex border. The hilum, where vessels and the ureter enter and exit, sits on the medial border and is described as a vertical fissure or notch facing the renal sinus. Because the hilum is medial, the lateral border is not defined by a fissure. So the lateral border’s defining feature is its rounded contour, whereas the vertical fissure relates to the medial border at the hilum.