Pelvic cavity

Pelvic cavity
The various cavities of the human body as seen in a frontal projection, with the pelvic cavity labeled 4.
The various cavities of the human body as seen in a lateral projection, with the pelvic cavity labeled 4.
Details
ArteryOvarian artery, internal iliac artery, median sacral artery
VeinInternal iliac vein, internal pudendal vein, vesical vein
NerveInferior hypogastric plexus
LymphPrimarily internal iliac lymph nodes
Identifiers
Latincavitas pelvis
TA98A02.5.02.002
TA21283
FMA9738
Anatomical terminology
Male pelvis.
Female 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 reproductive organs, urinary bladder, distal ureters, proximal urethra, terminal sigmoid colon, rectum, and anal canal. In females, the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and upper vagina occupy the area between the other viscera.[1][2]

The rectum is located at the back of the pelvis, in the curve of the sacrum and coccyx; the bladder is in front, behind the pubic symphysis. 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 might damage the pudendal nerves and later lead to anal weakness.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gray's was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Drake R, Vogl AW, Mitchell AW (2018). "5 Pelvis and Perineum". Gray's Basic Anatomy E-Book. Elsevier. pp. 220–227. ISBN 978-0-323-50850-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)