The pelvic floor

Question 1

Where is the pelvic cavity located?

What is found inside the pelvic cavity?

Answer 1

Lesser part of the pelvis, below the pelvic brim

Bladder,rectum, pelvic genital organs, terminal part of the urethra

Question 2

What consists the lateral walls of the pelvic cavity?

Answer 2

Obturator internus, Piriformis muscle

Question 3

Describe the structure of the pelvic floor?

Answer 3

Funnel shaped cavity that attches to the walls of the lesser pelvis seperating the pelvic cavity from the perineum inferiorly

Question 4

What are the two hiatus of significance?

Answer 4

Urogenital hiatus- anterioly situated gap which allows passage of the urethra and the vagina in females

Rectal hiatus- centrally positioned gap which allows the passage of the anal canal

Question 5

What are the roles of the pelvic floor muscles?

What are the three main components of the pelvic floor?

Answer 5

Support abdominopelvic viscera- bladder, intestines, uterus through tonic contraction

Levator ani muscles
Coccygeus muscle
Fascia covering the muscles

Question 6

What are the innervation of the levator ani muscles.

How are they further broken down?

Answer 6

S2, 3 and 4.

Pubocccygeus, Puborectalis and Iliococcygeus

Question 7

What is the puborectalis muscle?

Answer 7

A ‘U shaped’ sling that extends from the bodies of the pubic bones, past the urogenital hiatus around the anal canal.

Its main action is to maintain faecal continence

Question 8

What are the fibres found infront of the puborectalis muscle?

What is their function?

Answer 8

Pre rectal fibres of puborectalis
May also be called pubovaginalis

Preserving urinary incontinence during icnreases of intra-abdominal pressure such as sneezing

Question 9

What is the pubococcygeus muscle?

Answer 9

Arise from pubic bone and the anterior aspect of the tendinous arch. This is the main constituent of the levator ani muscles

The fibres travel around the margin of the urogenital haitus and run postermedially attatching at the coccyx and anoccygeal ligament

Question 10

What is the iliococcygeus muscle?

Answer 10

Thin muscle fibre that starts at ischial spine and posterior aspect of tendious arch. They attatch at the the coccyx

Described as the levator it acts to elevate pelvic floor

Question 11

What is the coccygeus muscle?

What innervates it

What are its attachments?

Answer 11

Smaller, most posterior pelvic floor component.

S4 and S5

originates from ischial spines and travels to the lateral aspects of the sacrum and coccyx along the sacrospinous ligament