Summary ANATOMY OF THE PELVIS AND PERINIUM

PELVIC AND PERINEUM Introduction • The pelvis is the part of the trunk infero-posterior to the abdomen and is the area of transition between the trunk and the lower limbs. • The pelvic cavity is the inferior most part of the abdomino pelvic cavity. • Anatomically, the pelvis is the part of the body surrounded by the pelvic girdle (bony pelvis), part of the appendicular skeleton of the lower limb. Cont…. • The pelvis is subdivided into greater and lesser pelves. • The greater pelvis is surrounded by the superior pelvic girdle. • The greater pelvis is occupied by inferior abdominal viscera, affording them protection similar to the way the superior abdominal viscera are protected by the inferior thoracic cage. Cont… • The lesser pelvis is surrounded by the inferior pelvic girdle, which provides the skeletal framework for both the pelvic cavity and the perineum—compartments of the trunk separated by the musculofascial pelvic diaphragm. • Externally, the pelvis is covered or overlapped by the inferior anterolateral abdominal wall anteriorly, the gluteal region of the lower limb posterolaterally, and the perineum inferiorly. Perineum • The term perineum refers both to the area of the surface of the trunk between the thighs and the buttocks, extending from the coccyx to the pubis, and to the shallow compartment lying deep (superior) to this area but inferior to the pelvic diaphragm. • The perineum includes the anus and external genitalia: • the penis and scrotum of the male and • the vulva of the female. Pelvic girdle