ABSTRACT
Anatomy The small intestine is divided into three anatomical portions: duodenum, jejunum and ileum. However, in surgery, the duodenum, which forms the first 25 cm, is considered with the stomach because of various pathologies which affect both organs, such as peptic ulceration. At postmortem the average length of the small intestine in situ is about 7 m, with a reported range of 4.3-10.3 m when the measurement is made along the antimesenteric border. These estimates have to be regarded as approximate and are certainly not exact in view of the distensibility of the small intestine, the flaccid state after death and indeed the method of measurement (usually by tape) used in these postmortem studies. The length of the intestine (less the duodenum) when measured along its attached or mesenteric border, is only 4.6 m.
