The greater sciatic foramen is an opening (
) in the posterior
human pelvis
The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton).
The ...
. It is formed by the
sacrotuberous and
sacrospinous ligaments. The
piriformis muscle passes through the foramen and occupies most of its volume. The greater sciatic foramen is wider in women than in men.
Structure
It is bounded as follows:
* anterolaterally by the
greater sciatic notch of the
ilium.
* posteromedially by the
sacrotuberous ligament
The sacrotuberous ligament (great or posterior sacrosciatic ligament) is situated at the lower and back part of the pelvis. It is flat, and triangular in form; narrower in the middle than at the ends.
Structure
It runs from the sacrum (the lowe ...
.
* inferiorly by the
sacrospinous ligament and the ischial spine.
* superiorly by the anterior sacroiliac ligament.
Function
The
piriformis
The piriformis muscle () is a flat, pyramidally-shaped muscle in the gluteal region of the lower limbs. It is one of the six muscles in the lateral rotator group.
The piriformis muscle has its origin upon the front surface of the sacrum, and in ...
, which exits the pelvis through the foramen, occupies most of its volume.
The following structures also exit the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen:
See also
*
Lesser sciatic foramen
References
External links
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* (, )
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Anatomy
Bones of the pelvis