Pelvic Floor Functional Anatomy
It attaches to the walls of the lesser pelvis separating the pelvic cavity from the perineum inferiorly region which includes the genitalia and anus.
Pelvic floor functional anatomy. Affiliation 1 department. The pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm is composed of muscle fibers of the levator ani the coccygeus muscle and associated connective tissue which span the area underneath the pelvis the pelvic diaphragm is a muscular partition formed by the levatores ani and coccygei with which may be included the parietal pelvic fascia on their upper and lower aspects. The pelvic floor is a funnel shaped structure. Free article show details ann n y acad sci actions.
It is designed to keep the pelvic organs bladder uterus and rectum in place and support spinal and pelvic stability. Functional anatomy of the female pelvic floor james a ashton miller et al. Search in pubmed search in nlm catalog add to search. 1 department of urology taubman health care center university of michigan health system ann arbor michigan 48109 usa.
Pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence are debilitating problems that prevent one in nine women from enjoying a full and active life olsen et al. 1997 they arise due to injuries and deterioration of the muscles nerves and connective tissue that support and control normal pelvic organ function. In order to allow for urination and defecation there are a few gaps in the pelvic floor. Epub 2007 apr 7.
Functional anatomy of the pelvic floor and lower urinary tract. Pelvic floor weakness is an important problem for many women and basic knowledge of the anatomy of the female pelvic floor is needed to detect it and evaluate its severity. Jacopo martellucci carlo bergamini giulia palla tommaso simoncini gabriele naldini andrea valeri functional anatomy of the pelvic floor electrical stimulation for pelvic floor disorders 10 1007 978 3 319 06947 0 19 42 2015. The pelvic floor is primarily made up of thick skeletal muscles along with nearby ligaments and their investing fascia.
Authors john t wei 1 john o l de lancey. The female pelvic floor is made of muscles and connective tissue that form a sling or hammock across the base of the pelvis fig 1. Ann n y acad sci. Functional anatomy of the pelvic floor and lower urinary tract clin obstet gynecol.
It is a basin shaped muscular diaphragm that helps to support the visceral contents of the pelvis. Functional anatomy of the pelvic floor and lower urinary tract.