The deep branch of the perineal nerve (or muscular branches) is a

nerve A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons) in the peripheral nervous system. A nerve transmits electrical impulses. It is the basic unit of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the e ...

of the

perineum The perineum in humans is the space between the anus and scrotum in the male, or between the anus and the vulva in the female. The perineum is the region of the body between the pubic symphysis (pubic arch) and the coccyx (tail bone), includi ...

. It is a branch of the

perineal nerve The perineal nerve is a nerve of the pelvis. It arises from the pudendal nerve in the pudendal canal. It gives superficial branches to the skin, and a deep branch to muscles. It supplies the skin and muscles of the perineum. Its latency is test ...

, from the

pudendal nerve The pudendal nerve is the main nerve of the perineum. It carries sensation from the external genitalia of both sexes and the skin around the anus and perineum, as well as the motor supply to various pelvic muscles, including the male or fem ...

. It supplies the

superficial transverse perineal muscle The transverse perineal muscles (transversus perinei) are the superficial and the deep transverse perineal muscles. Superficial transverse perineal ...

bulbospongiosus muscle The bulbospongiosus muscle (bulbocavernosus in older texts) is one of the superficial muscles of the perineum. It has a slightly different origin, insertion and function in males and females. In males, it covers the bulb of the penis. In femal ...

ischiocavernosus muscle The ischiocavernosus muscle (erectores penis ''or'' erector clitoridis in older texts) is a muscle just below the surface of the perineum, present in both men and women. Structure It arises by tendinous and fleshy fibers from the inner surface of ...

, the

bulb of penis Just before each crus of the penis meets its fellow, it presents a slight enlargement, which Georg Ludwig Kobelt named the bulb of the corpus cavernosum penis. The bulb of penis is also known as the urethral bulb. The bulb is homologous to the v ...

levator ani The levator ani is a broad, thin muscle group, situated on either side of the pelvis. It is formed from three muscle components: the pubococcygeus, the iliococcygeus, and the puborectalis. It is attached to the inner surface of each side of the ...

, and the

external anal sphincter The external anal sphincter (or sphincter ani externus ) is a flat plane of skeletal muscle fibers, elliptical in shape and intimately adherent to the skin surrounding the margin of the anus. Anatomy The external anal sphincter measures about 8 ...

Structure

The deep branch of the perineal nerve is a branch of the

, itself a branch of the

. It pierces the medial wall of the

pudendal canal The pudendal canal (also called Alcock's canal) is an anatomical structure in the pelvis through which the internal pudendal artery, internal pudendal veins, and the pudendal nerve pass. Structure The pudendal canal is formed by the fascia of the ...

. The

dorsal nerve of the penis The dorsal nerve of the penis is the deepest division of the pudendal nerve; it accompanies the internal pudendal artery along the ramus of the ischium; it then runs forward along the margin of the inferior ramus of the pubis, between the superio ...

for males and the

dorsal nerve of the clitoris The dorsal nerve of the clitoris is a nerve in females that branches off the pudendal nerve to innervate the clitoris. The nerve is important for female sexual pleasure, and it may play a role in clitoral erections. It travels from below the infe ...

for females is the terminal branch of the

Function

The deep branch of the perineal nerve supplies the muscles of the perineum. These include

superficial transverse perineal muscle The transverse perineal muscles (transversus perinei) are the superficial and the deep transverse perineal muscles. Superficial transverse perineal ...

, the

. It also supplies

, and the

References

External links

* - "The Female Perineum: The Perineal Nerve" * * https://web.archive.org/web/20071101125123/http://anatomy.med.umich.edu/reproductive_system/perineum_ans.html {{neuroanatomy-stub Nerves of the lower limb and lower torso