Repro Flashcards
Locate on pelvis
- sacral promontory
- ala of the sacrum
- arcuate line of the ilium
- pecten pubis
- pubic tubercle
- pubic crest
- pubic symphysis
What structures make up the pelvis outlet?
Inferior margin of pubic symphysis
Inferior pubic rami
Sacrotuberous ligament
Tip of coccyx
What areas form the true and false pelvis?
Everything above pelvic inlet = false
Everything below = true
How do the pelvises of males compare to females?
False pelvis is deeper
True pelvis is narrower/deeper
Inlet heart shaped (vs larger and round)
Smaller pelvic outlet
Acute subpubic angle
Obturator foramen rounder (vs triangular/oval)
Actebulum faces laterally (vs anteriorly)
Which muscle occupies the lateral pelvic wall?
Obturator internus
What muscle occupies the posterior pelvic wall?
Piriformis
Which nerve structure lies next to the muscle that forms the posterior wall?
Sacral plexus
What muscles form the pelvic floor?
Levator Ani - largest component
- pubococcygeus
- puborectalis
- iliococcygeus
Coccygeus
Fascia coverings of muscle
What are the perineal and anococcygeal bodies?
Perineal body joins the pelvic floor to the perineum
Anococcygeal body - Extends from the cocccyx to the anus and is a fibrous tissue where levator ani muscles meet
What are the functions of the pelvic diaphragm?
Urinary/faecal continence
Supports abdominal viscera
Resists increases in pelvis/abdominal pressure
What is the innervation of the pelvic diaphragm/floor?
Levator Ani - Pudendal (S2-4)
Coccygeus - S4,S5
What is a cystocoele and a rectocoele?
Bladder/rectum bulging into vaginal wall
Why may an episiotomy minimise long-term damage?
Why is a mediolateral preferred to a midline?
Decreases uncontrolled tearing of perineum/muscles
Mediolateral has less risk of rectal herniation
What structures might you palpate during a rectal examination in males and/or females?
Both
- sacrum/coccyx
- ischial spines/tuberosities
Males
- Prostate
Females
- Cervix
What is the blood supply to the pelvis?
Mostly branches of internal iliac
- inc. pelvic organs, perineum, gluteal region
Except
- tesis
- ovary
- upper rectum
What are the significant arteries of the pelvis? What structures do they supply? (And what are they branches of?)
- *Superior and inferior vesicle** > bladder, seminal gland, prostate (sup from umbilical, inf from internal iliac)
- *Uterine artery** > uterus/uterine tube (from internal iliac)
- *Gonadal** > testis/ovaries (abdom aorta)
- *Superior rectal** > proximal rectum (inf. mesenteric)
- *Middle and inferior rectal** > distal rectum (internal iliac)
- *Vaginal** > vagina, lower bladder (from uterine artery)
- *Internal pudendal** > perineum (internal iliac)
- *Obturator** > thigh adductors (internal iliac)
What are the significant veins of the pelvis?
Internal iliac veins
Superior rectal veins
Median sacral vein
Gonadal veins
Internal vertebral venous plexus
Which part of the rectum drains into the portal circulation? Which drain into the systemic circulation?
Superior (rectal vein) to portal
Middle/inferior to systemic
Why mighte haemorrhoids be associated with liver cirrhosis?
Can be caused by portal hypertension
With which venous plexus does the prostatic venous plexus communicate on its posterior side? What is the clinical significance?
Internal vertebral
Cancer commonly spreads from this way from prostate to vertebral bodies
Where does the ilioinguinal nerve originate and what is its path?
Where does the genitofemoral nerve originate and what is its path?
Originates from L1
Enters the inguinal canal at superficial ring to supply skin at the root of the penis in male/labia in female
Genitofemoral at L1-2, enters at deep inguinal ring
What structures in the male are supplied by the genital branch of the genito-femoral nerve?
Anterior Scrotum and cremaster muscle
What is the nerve supply of the skin and muscles of the perineum? What are the segmental roots?
Pudendal nerve
S2-4
Why is the route of the pudendal nerve clinically relevant?
What bony landmarks are relevant?
Bilateral pudendal nerve block during childbirth, particularly instrument-assisted
Ischial spines used as landmarks
What are the autonomic components of the pelvic nerve supply? What do they supply?
Sympathetic fibres from L1,2 supply vas deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate, epididymis, via hypogastric plexus
Sympathetic fibres from pelvic and ovarian plexuses and parasympathetic nerve fibres from the pelvic splanchnic nerves (S2-4) supply the female genital tract
Parasympathetic fibres from S2-4 supply erectile tissues in men and women, via hypogastric plexus
What muscles serve as the erectile tissue?
Crura (men and women)
> corpora cavernosa
Bulb > corpus spongiosum
After rectal surgery, why are some men unable to ejaculate?
Injury to hypogastric plexus
What are the different groups of lymph nodes in the pelvis? Where does each drain?
External iliac
- inguinal nodes, external genitalia, vagina, and cervix
Internal iliac
- gluteal region, deep perineum, inferior pelvic viscera
Sacral
- inferior rectum, inferior vagina, posteroinferior pelvis
Common iliac
- receives from the three other groups
What are the male internal reproductive organs?
Testis
Ductus/vas deferens
Seminal glands
Prostate
Epididymis
Bulbourethral glands
What are the main contents of the spermatic cord?
Blood vessels
- pampiniform plexus
- testicular artery
- cremasteric artery
- deferential artery
Nerves
- genital branch of genitofemoral
- autonomic nerves
Other structures
- vas deferens
- lymph vessels
What is the tough outer fibrous layer of the testis?
Tunica albuginea
What is the peritoneal sac covering the testis? What is its structure?
Tunica vaginalis
Visceral and parietal layers
What is present between the tunica vaginalis layers?
Fluid
What is a hydrocoele and haematocoele in the context of the tunica vaginalis?
Collection of fluid (hydro) or blood (haemato) between layers of tunica vaginalis
What is the blood supply to the testis?
At what vertebral level does it arise and from where?
Testicular arteries
L2 from abdominal aorta
What is the route of the testicular arteries?
Travel retroperitoneally and cross the ureter and external iliac artery before travelling through inguinal canal
What is the term used for the 8-12 anastomosing veins associated with the testis?
What is their function?
Where do they drain?
Pampiniform plexus
Cools blood entering the scrotum
R testicular vein drains into IVC
L drains into left renal vein
What is a varicocoele?
Enlarged/varicose pampiniform plexus