Pelvic floor muscles

Question 1

what are the 3 muscular components of the pelvic floor?

Answer 1

Levator ani muscles
Coccygeus muscle
Fascia coverings of the muscles

Question 2

which is the largest muscular component of the pelvic floor?

Answer 2

Levator ani muscles

Question 3

what are the levator ani muscles innervated by? nerve roots?

Answer 3

Innervated by branches of the pudendal nerve, roots S2, S3 and S4

Question 4

what is the levator ani muscle?

Answer 4

a broad sheet of muscle

Question 5

what is the levator ani muscle composed of?

Answer 5

three separate paired muscles, called the pubococcygeus, puborectalis and iliococcygeus

Question 6

where do the levator ani muscles have attachments?

Answer 6

Anterior
Laterally
Posteriorly

Question 7

what is the anterior attachment of the levator ani muscle?

Answer 7

The pubic bodies of the hip bone

Question 8

what is the lateral attachment of the levator ani muscle?

Answer 8

Thickened fascia of the obturator internus muscle, known as the tendinous arch

Question 9

what is the posterior attachment of the levator ani muscle?

Answer 9

The ischial spines of the hip bone

Question 10

what is the puborectalis muscle?

Answer 10

a U-shaped sling

Question 11

where does the puborectalis muscle extend?

Answer 11

from the bodies of the pubic bones, past the urogenital hiatus, around the anal canal

Question 12

what does tonic contraction of the puborectalis muscles lead to?

Answer 12

bends the canal anteriorly, creating the anorectal angle at the anorectal junction

Question 13

what is the anorectal junction?

Answer 13

where the rectum meets the anus

Question 14

what is the anorectal angle?

Answer 14

90 degrees

Question 15

what is the main function of the puborectalis muscle?

Answer 15

The main function of this thick muscle is to maintain faecal continence

Question 16

what happens to the puborectalis muscle during defecation?

Answer 16

muscle relaxes

Question 17

what are the muscle fibres of the pubococcygeus muscle the main constituent of?

Answer 17

of the levator ani

Question 18

where do the muscle fibres of the pubococcygeus muscle arise from?

Answer 18

from the body of the pubic bone and the anterior aspect of the tendinous arch

Question 19

where do the muscles fibres of the pubococcygeus muscle travel?

Answer 19

The fibres travel around the margin of the urogenital hiatus and run posteriomedially

Question 20

where do the muscle fibres of the pubococcygeus muscle attach to?

Answer 20

attaching at the coccyx and anococcygeal ligament

Question 21

what happens to the muscle fibres of the pubococcygeus muscle as it travels inferiorly and medially?

Answer 21

some fibres divide and loop around the prostate in males and around the vagina in females

Question 22

where do some fibres of the pubococcygeus muscle terminate?

Answer 22

in the perineal body

Question 23

what are the muscle fibres of the pubococcygeus muscle called as it loops around the prostate in males?

Answer 23

levator prostatae

Question 24

what are the muscle fibres of the pubococcygeus muscle called as it loops around the vagina in females?

Answer 24

pubovaginalis

Question 25

what does the iliococcygeus muscle contain?

Answer 25

has thin muscle fibres, which start anteriorly at the ischial spines and posterior aspect of the tendinous arch

Question 26

where do the thin muscle fibres of the iliococcygeus muscle begin?

Answer 26

start anteriorly at the ischial spines and posterior aspect of the tendinous arch

Question 27

where do the thin muscle fibres of the iliococcygeus muscle attach?

Answer 27

They attach posteriorly to the coccyx and the anococcygeal ligament

Question 28

what is the Coccygeus muscle innervated by?

Answer 28

Innervated by the anterior rami of S4 and S5

Question 29

what is the coccygeus muscle?

Answer 29

the smaller, and most posterior, pelvic floor component

Question 30

where are the levator ani muscles situated?

Answer 30

The levator ani muscles situated anteriorly

Question 31

where do the levator ani muscles originate from?

Answer 31

It originates from the ischial spines

Question 32

where do the levator ani muscles travel to?

Answer 32

to the lateral aspect of the sacrum and coccyx, along the sacrospinous ligament