title: Anatomy of the normal diaphragm.
abstract: The thoracic diaphragm is a dome-shaped septum, composed of muscle surrounding a central tendon, which separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities. The function of the diaphragm is to expand the chest cavity during inspiration and to promote occlusion of the gastroesophageal junction. This article provides an overview of the normal anatomy of the diaphragm.
authors.affiliation: Thoracic Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, C-871, New York, NY 10065, USA. downeyr@mskcc.org
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Downey
mesh_terms: D003964:Diaphragm / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D010791:Phrenic Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology