Corpus: Sacral splanchnic nerves

The sacral splanchnic nerves are part of the visceral nerve group that connect the inferior hypogastric plexus with the sympathetic trunk in the pelvic region.

The sacral splanchnic nerves originate from the sacral portion of the sympathetic trunk. They travel to the ipsilateral inferior hypogastric plexus, from where they extend to their target organs in the pelvis.

These nerves consist of postganglionic sympathetic fibers, preganglionic sympathetic fibers, and visceroafferent fibers. The sacral splanchnic nerves run close to the pelvic splanchnic nerves, which send parasympathetic fibers from the sacral spinal nerves to the inferior hypogastric plexus.

Despite their name, the core of the sacral splanchnic nerves does not originate from the sacral spinal cord segments (S1-S5) but rather from the sympathetic core, which is located cranially in the lateral horn of the spinal cord, extending only to segments L2 or L3. Therefore, the name derives from their association with the sacral ganglia rather than their spinal origin.