The inferior hypogastric plexus (pelvic plexus in some texts) is a network () of nerves that supplies the organs of the

pelvic cavity 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 reproducti ...

. The inferior hypogastric plexus gives rise to the prostatic plexus in males and the uterovaginal plexus in females. The inferior hypogastric plexus is a paired structure, meaning there is one on the left and the right side of the body. These are located on either side of the

rectum The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in humans and some other mammals, and the Gastrointestinal tract, gut in others. The adult human rectum is about long, and begins at the rectosigmoid junction (the end of the s ...

in males, and at the sides of the rectum and

vagina In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...

in females. For this reason, injury to this structure can arise as a complication of pelvic surgeries and may cause urinary dysfunction and

urinary incontinence Urinary incontinence (UI), also known as involuntary urination, is any uncontrolled leakage of urine. It is a common and distressing problem, which may have a large impact on quality of life. It has been identified as an important issue in geria ...

. Testing of bladder function is used in that case to show a poorly compliant bladder, with bladder neck incompetence, and fixed external sphincter tone.

Structure

The plexus is formed from: * a continuation of the

superior hypogastric plexus The superior hypogastric plexus (in older texts, hypogastric plexus or presacral nerve) is a plexus of nerves situated on the vertebral bodies anterior to the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta. Structure From the plexus, sympathetic fibers are ca ...

on either side, at the Sacrum Promontory in the interiliac triangle. At this location, the presacral nerve sits in the middle in only 25% of people and is more commonly present on the left. *

sacral splanchnic nerves Sacral splanchnic nerves are splanchnic nerves that connect the inferior hypogastric plexus to the sympathetic trunk in the pelvis. Structure The sacral sympathetic nerves arise from the sacral part of the sympathetic trunk, emerging anteriorly fr ...

, from the

sympathetic trunk The sympathetic trunks (sympathetic chain, gangliated cord) are a paired bundle of nerve fibers that run from the base of the skull to the coccyx. They are a major component of the sympathetic nervous system. Structure The sympathetic trunk lies j ...

. *

pelvic splanchnic nerves Pelvic splanchnic nerves or nervi erigentes are splanchnic nerves that arise from sacral spinal nerves S2, S3, S4 to provide parasympathetic innervation to the organs of the pelvic cavity. Structure The pelvic splanchnic nerves arise from t ...

(from the second, third, and fourth

sacral nerves A spinal nerve is a mixed nerve, which carries motor, sensory, and autonomic signals between the spinal cord and the body. In the human body there are 31 pairs of spinal nerves, one on each side of the vertebral column. These are grouped into the ...

) also contribute

parasympathetic The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the sympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is sometimes considered part of t ...

efferent fibers Efferent nerve fibers refer to axonal projections that ''exit'' a particular region; as opposed to afferent projections that ''arrive'' at the region. These terms have a slightly different meaning in the context of the peripheral nervous syste ...

to the plexus. From these plexuses numerous branches are distributed to the viscera of the

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 ...

. They accompany the branches of the

internal iliac artery The internal iliac artery (formerly known as the hypogastric artery) is the main artery of the pelvis. Structure The internal iliac artery supplies the walls and viscera of the pelvis, the buttock, the reproductive organs, and the medial compa ...

. It is the source for the

middle rectal plexus The middle rectal plexus is a nerve plexus which supplies the middle part of the rectum. It is a branch of the inferior hypogastric plexus The inferior hypogastric plexus (pelvic plexus in some texts) is a network () of nerves that supplies the ...

, vesical plexus, prostatic plexus, and uterovaginal plexus.

Additional images

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References

External links

* * * * () {{Authority control Nerve plexus Nerves of the torso

Structure

Additional images

See also

References

External links