Franz Kaspar Hesselbach

Franz Kaspar Hesselbach (27 January 1759 – 24 July 1816) was a German surgeon and anatomist who was a native of Hammelburg.

He was a pupil, and later Prosector under Carl Caspar von Siebold (1736–1807) at Würzburg. Later Hesselbach was a lecturer at Würzburg, where one of his students was Konrad Johann Martin Langenbeck (1776–1851). His son, Adam Kaspar Hesselbach (1788–1856) was also a surgeon.

As a surgeon, Hesselbach is best known for his work with hernia operations. He was the first to describe a handful of anatomical structures, such as the cribriform fascia (Hesselbach's fascia), interfoveolar ligament (Hesselbach's ligament) and the inguinal triangle (Hesselbach's triangle).

Selected writings

• Anatomisch-chirurgische Abhandlung über den Ursprung der Leistenbrüche. Würzburg, Baumgärtner, 1806. (Hesselbach's fascia, ligament and triangle described).
• Neueste anatomisch-pathologische Untersuchungen über den Ursprung und das Fortschreiten der Leisten- und Schenkelbrüche. Würzburg, Staheliano, 1814. (Latest anatomic-pathologic investigations involving the origin and progress of inguinal and femoral ruptures).

• Tubbs, R. Shane; Gribben, Walter B.; Loukas, Marios; Shoja, Mohammadali M.; Tubbs, Kevin O.; Oakes, W. Jerry (Nov 2008). "Franz Kaspar Hesselbach (1759--1816): anatomist and surgeon". World Journal of Surgery. United States. 32 (11): 2527–9. doi:10.1007/s00268-008-9703-9. ISSN 0364-2313. PMID 18758855. S2CID 23982095.
• Franz Kaspar Hesselbach @ Who Named It