The pelvic cavity is a body cavity that is bounded by the bones of the pelvis. Its oblique roof is the pelvic inlet (the superior opening of the pelvis). Its lower boundary is the pelvic floor. The pelvic cavity primarily contains the

reproductive organs A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, a ...

, urinary bladder, distal

ureter The ureters are tubes made of smooth muscle that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In a human adult, the ureters are usually long and around in diameter. The ureter is lined by urothelial cells, a type of transitional epit ...

s, proximal urethra, terminal sigmoid colon, rectum, and

anal Anal may refer to: Related to the anus *Related to the anus of animals: ** Anal fin, in fish anatomy ** Anal vein, in insect anatomy ** Anal scale, in reptile anatomy *Related to the human anus: ** Anal sex, a type of sexual activity involving s ...

canal. In females, the

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The ...

, Fallopian tubes,

ovaries The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. T ...

and upper vagina occupy the area between the other

viscera In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to act together in a f ...

. The rectum is located at the back of the pelvis, in the curve of the sacrum and

coccyx The coccyx ( : coccyges or coccyxes), commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column in all apes, and analogous structures in certain other mammals such as horses. In tailless primates (e.g. humans and othe ...

; the bladder is in front, behind the

pubic symphysis The pubic symphysis is a secondary cartilaginous joint between the left and right superior rami of the pubis of the hip bones. It is in front of and below the urinary bladder. In males, the suspensory ligament of the penis attaches to the pubi ...

. The pelvic cavity also contains major arteries, veins, muscles, and nerves. These structures coexist in a crowded space, and disorders of one pelvic component may impact upon another; for example, constipation may overload the rectum and compress the urinary bladder, or

childbirth Childbirth, also known as labour and delivery, is the ending of pregnancy where one or more babies exits the internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section. In 2019, there were about 140.11 million births glob ...

might damage 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 ...

s and later lead to anal weakness.

Structure

The pelvis has an anteroinferior, a posterior, and two lateral pelvic walls; and an inferior pelvic wall, also called the pelvic floor. The

parietal peritoneum The peritoneum is the serous membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity or coelom in amniotes and some invertebrates, such as annelids. It covers most of the intra-abdominal (or coelomic) organs, and is composed of a layer of mesothel ...

is attached here and to the

abdominal wall In anatomy, the abdominal wall represents the boundaries of the abdominal cavity. The abdominal wall is split into the anterolateral and posterior walls. There is a common set of layers covering and forming all the walls: the deepest being the ...

Lesser pelvis

The lesser pelvis (or "true pelvis") is the space enclosed by the

pelvic girdle 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 p ...

and below the

pelvic brim The pelvic brim is the edge of the pelvic inlet. It is an approximately Mickey Mouse head-shaped line passing through the prominence of the sacrum, the arcuate and pectineal lines, and the upper margin of the pubic symphysis. Structure The pel ...

: between the pelvic inlet and the pelvic floor. This cavity is a short, curved canal, deeper on its posterior than on its anterior wall. Some sources consider this region to be the entirety of the pelvic cavity. Other sources define the pelvic cavity as the larger space including the

greater pelvis The pelvic cavity is a body cavity that is bounded by the bones of the pelvis. Its oblique roof is the pelvic inlet (the superior opening of the pelvis). Its lower boundary is the pelvic floor. The pelvic cavity primarily contains the reproduct ...

, just above the pelvic inlet. The lesser pelvis is bounded in front and below by the superior rami of the symphysis pubis; above and behind, by the sacrum and coccyx; and laterally, by a broad, smooth, quadrangular area of bone, corresponding to the inner surfaces of the body and superior ramus of the ischium, and the part of the ilium below the arcuate line. The lesser pelvis contains the pelvic colon, rectum, bladder, and some of the

sex organ A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, a ...

s. The rectum is at the back, in the curve of the sacrum and

; the bladder is in front, behind the

. In females, the

and vagina occupy the interval between these viscera. The pelvic splanchnic nerves arising at S2–S4 are in the lesser pelvis.

Greater pelvis

The greater pelvis (or false pelvis) is the space enclosed by the

above and in front of the

. It is bounded on either side by the ilium. In the front, it is incomplete, presenting a wide interval between the anterior borders of the ilia, which is filled by the muscles and fascia of the

anterior abdominal wall In anatomy, the abdominal wall represents the boundaries of the abdominal cavity. The abdominal wall is split into the anterolateral and posterior walls. There is a common set of layers covering and forming all the walls: the deepest being the vi ...

; behind is a deep notch on either side between the ilium and the

base of the sacrum The sacrum (plural: ''sacra'' or ''sacrums''), in human anatomy, is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine that forms by the fusing of the sacral vertebrae (S1S5) between ages 18 and 30. The sacrum situates at the upper, back part o ...

that is filled by the

thoracolumbar fascia The thoracolumbar fascia (lumbodorsal fascia or thoracodorsal fascia) is a deep investing membrane throughout most of the posterior thorax and abdomen although it is a thin fibrous lamina in the thoracic region. Above, it is continuous with a simil ...

and associated muscles. It is generally considered part of the abdominal cavity (which is why it is sometimes called the false pelvis).Drake et al. (2009) Grays Anatomy for Students, 2nd Edition, ch. 5 ''Pelvis and perineum'' – ''general description'', p. 406 Some sources consider this region part of the pelvic cavity, while others reframe the classification by calling the combination the abdominopelvic cavity. The greater pelvis supports the

intestines The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and ...

(specifically, the

ileum The ileum () is the final section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear and the terms posterior intestine or distal intestine m ...

and sigmoid colon), and transmits part of their weight to the anterior wall of the abdomen. The

femoral nerve The femoral nerve is a nerve in the thigh that supplies skin on the upper thigh and inner leg, and the muscles that extend the knee. Structure The femoral nerve is the major nerve supplying the anterior compartment of the thigh. It is the largest ...

from L2–L4 is in the greater pelvis, but not in the lesser pelvis.

Ligaments

Arteries

* internal iliac artery * median sacral artery * ovarian artery

Nerves

* sacral plexus * splanchnic nerves *

(

)

Measurements

The pelvis can be classified into four main types by measuring the pelvic diameters and conjugates at the pelvic inlet and outlet and as oblique diameters. Anatomical dissection of the pelvic cavity

Anatomical dissection of the pelvic cavity

Additional images

File:Gray319.png, Joints of the pelvis. Anterior view. File:Gray539.png, The arteries of the pelvis. File:Gray829.png, Dissection of side wall of pelvis showing sacral and pudendal plexuses. File:Gray837.png, Sacral plexus of the right side. File:Male pelvic cavity.jpg, Male pelvic cavity File:Female pelvic cavity.jpg, Female pelvic cavity File:Scheme body cavities-en.svg, Lateral projection of the human body cavities, with the line separating the abdominal and pelvic cavities shown.

References

External links

Overview at buffalo.edu

Diagram at southwest.tn.edu

* – "The Male Pelvis: Articulated bones of male pelvis" * {{Authority control Pelvis