The intercrural fibers are a series of curved tendinous fibers, which arch across the lower part of the aponeurosis

Aponeurosis

Aponeuroses are layers of flat broad tendons. They have a shiny, whitish-silvery color, are histologically similar to tendons, and are very sparingly supplied with blood vessels and nerves. When dissected, aponeuroses are papery, and peel off by sections...

 of the Obliquus externus, describing curves with the convexities downward.

They have received their name from stretching across between the two crura of the subcutaneous inguinal ring, and they are much thicker and stronger at the inferior crus, where they are connected to the inguinal ligament

Inguinal ligament

The inguinal ligament is a band running from the pubic tubercle to the anterior superior iliac spine. Its anatomy is very important for operating on hernia patients.-Anatomy:...

, than superiorly, where they are inserted into the linea alba

Linea alba

The linea alba is a fibrous structure that runs down the midline of the abdomen in humans and other vertebrates. The name means white line and the linea alba is indeed white, being composed mostly of collagen connective tissue....

.

The intercrural fibers increase the strength of the lower part of the aponeurosis, and prevent the divergence of the crura from one another; they are more strongly developed in the male

Male

Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...

 than in the female

Female

Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...

.

Intercrural fascia

As they pass across the subcutaneous inguinal ring, they are connected together by delicate fibrous tissue, forming a fascia

Fascia

A fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue that permeates the human body. A fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding those structures together in much the same manner as plastic wrap can be used to hold the contents of sandwiches...

, called the intercrural fascia.

This intercrural fascia is continued down as a tubular prolongation around the spermatic cord

Spermatic cord

The spermatic cord is the name given to the cord-like structure in males formed by the ductus deferens and surrounding tissue that run from the abdomen down to each testicle.-Contents of spermatic cord:...

 and testis, and encloses them in a sheath; hence it is also called the external spermatic fascia.

The subcutaneous inguinal ring is seen as a distinct aperture

Aperture

In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are,...

only after the intercrural fascia has been removed.