Right crus

The right crus of the diaphragm is a muscular structure found in the lumbar part of the diaphragm.

It rises from its corresponding tendon on the ventral face of the first lumbar vertebrae. The right crus is always larger and thicker than the left, and the caudal vena cava lies on its ventral face. It faces the psoas muscle dorsally. Together, the right and left crura create a path to the aorta through the aortic hiatus. They carry on until the central tendon and encircle, at the end of their prolongations sometimes known as "intermediate crura” (not distinct in all species), the oesophageal hiatus.