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Pelvic Cavity

 
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Pelvic cavity
 
 
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The pelvic cavity is a body cavity
Body cavity

By the broadest definition, a body cavity is any fluid filled space in a multicellular organism. However, the term usually refers to the space, located between an animal?s outer covering and the outer lining of the gut cavity, where internal organs develop....
 that is bounded by the bones of the pelvis
Pelvis

The pelvis or pelvic girdle is the irregular bone structure located at the base of the spine . In the adult human, it is formed by the sacrum and the coccyx, the caudal part of the axial skeleton, and a pair of hip bones, part of the appendicular skeleton or human leg....
 and which primarily contains reproductive organs, the urinary bladder
Urinary bladder

In anatomy, the urinary bladder is a solid, muscle, and distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor in mammals. It is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys prior to disposal by urination....
, and the rectum
Rectum

The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in some mammals, and the Gastrointestinal tract in others, terminating in the anus....
. The pelvis is a marvel of physiology and is deceptively complex. It contains the lower urinary tract, reproductive system, lower digestive tract, major arteries and veins, muscle systems, nerve systems and bone systems. They all have to work together in a little crowded "house".






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The pelvic cavity is a body cavity
Body cavity

By the broadest definition, a body cavity is any fluid filled space in a multicellular organism. However, the term usually refers to the space, located between an animal?s outer covering and the outer lining of the gut cavity, where internal organs develop....
 that is bounded by the bones of the pelvis
Pelvis

The pelvis or pelvic girdle is the irregular bone structure located at the base of the spine . In the adult human, it is formed by the sacrum and the coccyx, the caudal part of the axial skeleton, and a pair of hip bones, part of the appendicular skeleton or human leg....
 and which primarily contains reproductive organs, the urinary bladder
Urinary bladder

In anatomy, the urinary bladder is a solid, muscle, and distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor in mammals. It is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys prior to disposal by urination....
, and the rectum
Rectum

The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in some mammals, and the Gastrointestinal tract in others, terminating in the anus....
. The pelvis is a marvel of physiology and is deceptively complex. It contains the lower urinary tract, reproductive system, lower digestive tract, major arteries and veins, muscle systems, nerve systems and bone systems. They all have to work together in a little crowded "house". It can be affected by many different diseases and by many drugs in many different ways. One part may impact upon another, for example constipation may overload the rectum and compress the urinary bladder, or childbirth might damage the and later lead to anal weakness.

Borders

The boundaries are as follows:

roof: pelvic brim
Pelvic brim

The pelvis is divided by an oblique plane passing through the prominence of the sacrum, the Arcuate line and pectineal line s, and the upper margin of the symphysis pubis, into the greater pelvis and the lesser pelvis....
 		- | posterior: sacrum
Sacrum

The sacrum is a large, triangular bone at the base of the vertebral column and at the upper and back part of the pelvic cavity, where it is inserted like a wedge between the two hip bones....
, coccyx
Coccyx

The coccyx , commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the human spine . Comprising three to five separate or fused vertebrae below the sacrum, it is attached to the sacrum by a fibrocartilaginous joint, the sacrococcygeal symphysis, which permits limited movement between the sacrum and the coccyx....
 		 lateral: obturator internus anterior: pubic symphysis
Pubic symphysis

The pubic symphysis is the midline cartilage joint uniting the superior pubic ramus of the left and right pubis . It is located anterior to the urinary bladder and superior to the external genitalia; for females it is above the vulva and for males it is above the penis....
 |- | 		floor: pelvic floor
Pelvic floor

The pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm is composed of muscle fibers of the levator ani, the coccygeus, and associated connective tissue which span the area underneath the pelvis....
 		 


Greater and lesser pelvis

The lesser pelvis
Lesser pelvis

The lesser pelvis is that part of the pelvic cavity which is situated below and behind the pelvic brim.Its bony walls are more complete than those of the greater pelvis....
 (or "true" pelvis" only includes structures inferior to the pelvic brim
Pelvic brim

The pelvis is divided by an oblique plane passing through the prominence of the sacrum, the Arcuate line and pectineal line s, and the upper margin of the symphysis pubis, into the greater pelvis and the lesser pelvis....
.

For example, the pelvic splanchnic nerves
Pelvic splanchnic nerves

Pelvic splanchnic nerves or nervi erigentes are splanchnic nerves that arise from sacral spinal nerves sacral spinal nerve 2, sacral spinal nerve 3, sacral spinal nerve 4 to provide parasympathetic innervation to the hindgut....
 arising at S2-S4 is in the true pelvis, but the femoral nerve
Femoral nerve

The femoral nerve, the largest branch of the lumbar plexus, arises from the dorsal divisions of the second, third, and fourth lumbar nerves. It descends through the fibers of the Psoas major, emerging from the muscle at the lower part of its lateral border, and passes down between it and the Iliacus, behind the iliac fascia; it then runs bene...
 from L2-L4 is only in the "false pelvis", or greater pelvis
Greater pelvis

The greater pelvis is the expanded portion of the cavity situated above and in front of the pelvic brim.It is bounded on either side by the ilium ; in front it is incomplete, presenting a wide interval between the anterior borders of the ilium , which is filled up in the fresh state by the parietes of the abdomen; behind is a deep notch on...
.

Ligaments


Ligament From To >- | broad ligament of the uterus
Broad ligament of the uterus

The broad ligament of the uterus is the wide fold of peritoneum that connects the sides of the uterus to the walls and floor of the pelvis....
 		 - | * mesovarium
Mesovarium

The mesovarium is the portion of the broad ligament of the uterus that covers the ovary.At first the mesonephros and genital ridge are suspended by a common mesentery, but as the embryo grows the genital ridge gradually becomes pinched off from the mesonephros, with which it is at first continuous, though it still remains connected to the r...
 		 ovary
Ovary

The ovary is an ovum-producing reproductive organ, often found in pairs as part of the vertebrate female reproductive system. Ovaries in females are homology to testicle in males, in that they are both gonads and endocrine glands....
 		- | * mesosalpinx
Mesosalpinx

The mesosalpinx is part of the lining of the abdominal cavity in higher vertebrates, specifically the portion of the broad ligament that stretches from the uterine tube to the level of the ovary....
 		 Fallopian tube
Fallopian tube

The Fallopian tubes, named after Gabriel Fallopius , also known as oviducts, uterine tubes, and salpinges are two very fine tubes lined with cilia epithelia, leading from the ovaries of female mammals into the uterus....
 		- | * mesometrium
Mesometrium

The mesometrium is the mesentery of the uterus. It constitutes the majority of the broad ligament of the uterus, excluding only the portions adjacent to the uterine tube and ovary....
 		 - | cardinal ligament
Cardinal ligament

The cardinal ligament is a major ligament of the uterus. It is located at the base of the broad ligament of the uterus . Importantly, it contains the uterine artery and uterine vein....
 		 - | ovarian ligament
Ovarian ligament

The ovarian ligament is a fibrous ligament that connects the ovary to the lateral surface of the uterus.This ligament should not be confused with the suspensory ligament of the ovary, which extends from the ovary in the other direction....
  		ovary - | round ligament of the uterus - | suspensory ligament of the ovary
Suspensory ligament of the ovary

The suspensory ligament of the ovary, also infundibulopelvic ligament , is a fold of peritoneum that extends out from the ovary to the wall of the pelvis....
 		  


Arteries

  • internal iliac artery
    Internal iliac artery

    The internal iliac artery is the main artery of the pelvis....
  • median sacral artery
    Median sacral artery

    The median sacral artery is a small vessel, which arises from the back of the aorta, a little above its bifurcation.It descends in the middle line in front of the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebr?, the sacrum and coccyx, and ends in the glomus coccygeum ....
  • ovarian artery
    Ovarian artery

    In human anatomy, the ovarian artery is a blood vessel that supplies oxygenated blood to the ovary. It arises from the abdominal aortic artery below the renal artery, and does not pass out of the abdominal cavity....


Nerves

  • sacral plexus
    Sacral plexus

    In human anatomy, the sacral plexus is a nerve plexus which, as part of the lumbosacral plexus, emerges from the sacral vertebrae , and which provides motor and sensory nerves for the posterior thigh, most of the lower leg, the entire foot, and part of the pelvis....
  • splanchnic nerves
    Splanchnic nerves

    The splanchnic nerves are paired nerves that contribute to the innervation of the viscera, carrying fibers of the autonomic nervous system as well as sensory fibers from the organs ....


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