Corpus: Pelvic cavity

The pelvic cavity is the body cavity surrounded by the pelvic bones. It merges cranially into the abdominal cavity (cavitas abdominalis).

The pelvic cavity is bounded by the following structures:

• laterally by the two hip bones (Os coxae)
• dorsally by the sacrum (Os sacrum)
• ventrally from the pelvic symphysis and the pubic branches
• cranially from the superior pelvic aperture
• caudally from the pelvic floor (pelvic diaphragm)

The pelvis can be divided into a small pelvis (pelvis minor) and a large pelvis (pelvis major). The transition between the two sections is formed by the apertura pelvis superior. The assignment of these sections to the pelvic cavity is not always clear in the anatomical literature. The pelvic cavity in the narrower sense is only formed by the small pelvis ("true pelvis"), while in this classification the large pelvis located between the pelvic blades is already assigned to the abdominal cavity.

The pelvic cavity contains numerous organs and ducts, some of which are gender-specific. There are also important lymph node stations here.

Pelvic organs[Bearbeiten]

The pelvic organs include:

• Rectum (woman, man)
• Urinary bladder (woman, man)
• Uterus (woman)
• Ovary (woman)
• Vagina (woman)
• Accessory sex glands (woman, man)
  • Prostate (man)

Ligaments[Bearbeiten]

• Ligamentum latum uteri (woman)
• Ligamentum cardinale (woman)
• Ligamentum ovarii proprium (woman)
• Ligamentum rotundum (woman)
• Ligamentum suspensorium ovarii (woman)

Blood vessels[Bearbeiten]

• Internal iliac artery (woman, man)
• Arteria sacralis mediana (woman, man)
• Arteria ovarica (woman)

Nerves[Bearbeiten]

• Sacral plexus (woman, man)
• Nervi splanchnici sacrales (woman, man)
• Nervi splanchnici pelvici (woman, man)

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