Superior duodenal flexure
Flexura superior duodeni
- Latin synonym: Flexura duodeni superior
Definition
The superior duodenal flexure is the anatomical bend that marks the junction between the first (superior) part and the second (descending) part of the duodenum. It is located on the right side of the upper abdomen at approximately the level of the first lumbar vertebra (L1). This flexure lies inferior to the liver and close to the neck of the gallbladder, where the relatively mobile first part of the duodenum turns sharply downward to become the fixed descending part. The region is closely related to the head of the pancreas medially and receives its arterial supply primarily from branches of the superior pancreaticoduodenal arteries, branches of the gastroduodenal artery.
References
Omole AE, Gogna S, KhorasaniZadeh A. Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis: Duodenum. [Updated 2026 Jan 31]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482390/
Standring, S. (2015) Grays Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. 41st edn. London: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier. Chapter 65, Small intestine.
Ocasio Quinones GA, Woolf A. Duodenal Ulcer. [Updated 2023 Apr 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557390/
Earth's Lab (n.d.) Gallbladder. Available at: https://www.earthslab.com/anatomy/gallbladder/ (Accessed: 12 June 2026)
