The superficial inguinal ring is an elongate triangular defect in the aponeurosis of the external oblique (Fig. 4.177). It lies in the lower medial aspect of the anterior abdominal wall and is the external opening of the inguinal canal. The inguinal canal and superficial ring are larger in men than in women:
In men, structures that pass between the abdomen and the testis pass through the inguinal canal and superficial inguinal ring.