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Fascia
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Fascia is a thin layer of connective tissue, that is, the tissue that binds and supports. It separates muscles and organs from what surrounds them, protects them, and makes muscles rub against each other less when they move.
There is not just one. They are layers of wrapping, one inside another, from the skin down to the organ. The one just under the skin is called superficial fascia. The one that wraps each muscle separately and forms compartments is deep fascia. The one that lines the body cavities from the inside is parietal. And the one that wraps the organs is visceral.
Deep fascia deserves a closer look. It has few elastic fibers, and its collagen, the protein that gives firmness, runs in parallel, all the fibers in the same direction. That makes it highly resistant to tension, that is, to being stretched. And it does not only wrap: the connections between muscle and fascia may be involved in up to 30% of force transmission.
In brief
Fascia is a thin layer of connective tissue that separates muscles and organs from other structures, protects them, and reduces friction.
There are four categories: superficial under the skin, deep around muscle, parietal in the cavities, and visceral in the organs.
Layers of wrapping, one inside another, from the skin to the organ.
Deep fascia has few elastic fibers and collagen running in parallel, which gives it tensile strength, and myofascial connections may be involved in up to 30% of force transmission.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingPhysiology, Fascia, StatPearlsPublished
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