Transparent Interlobar Surfaces of the Lungs Presented, Posterior View

Description

Transparent rendering isolates the interlobar (fissural) surfaces of both lungs in posterior view, letting the major lobes read through the parenchyma while keeping the bronchopulmonary segments color-coded. Posteriorly, the oblique fissure of each lung slopes inferoanteriorly from the level of the T3 to T4 spinous processes toward the anterior basal region, separating the superior lobe from the inferior lobe on the left and from the middle and inferior lobes on the right. On the right, the horizontal fissure meets the oblique fissure near the midaxillary line, and the lateral basal segment (S9) sits low and posterolateral at the diaphragmatic base, lateral to the medial basal segment (S7) and inferior to the superior segment (S6). Orientation is unambiguous. Posterior fissural anatomy is where many learners finally understand lobe boundaries on chest radiographs and CT, since the oblique fissures form key pleural reflections that define how airspace disease or pleural fluid tracks. Segmental emphasis matters clinically: aspiration pneumonia often favors dependent segments such as the superior segment of the lower lobe (S6) in supine patients, while gravity-dependent basal segments (including S9 and S10) dominate in upright aspiration and in lower-lobe atelectasis patterns. For thoracic surgery, these interlobar planes guide VATS lobectomy and segmentectomy, where safe dissection follows the fissure to expose the pulmonary artery branches, segmental bronchi, and intersegmental veins. Use this artwork in anatomy and radiology teaching to map fissures and lobar boundaries onto posterior chest wall landmarks, or in thoracic surgery materials to explain fissure-based approaches and segment-oriented resections. It also suits pulmonology publications discussing aspiration distribution, lobar collapse, and segmental localization for bronchoscopy. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.