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The pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm is an anatomical location in the human body, [1] which has an important role in urinary and anal continence, sexual function and support of the pelvic organs. [2] The pelvic floor includes muscles, both skeletal and smooth, ligaments and fascia.
The same human pelvis, front imaged by X-ray (top), magnetic resonance imaging (middle), and 3-dimensional computed tomography (bottom). The pelvis (pl.: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an anatomical trunk, [1] between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton [2] (sometimes also called bony pelvis or pelvic skeleton).
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 ...
The coccygeus muscle completes the pelvic floor, which is also called the pelvic diaphragm. It supports the viscera in the pelvic cavity, and surrounds the various structures that pass through it. The levator ani is the main pelvic floor muscle and contracts rhythmically during female orgasm, and painfully during vaginismus. [4]
The vagina is attached to the pelvic walls by endopelvic fascia. The peritoneum is the external layer of skin that covers the fascia. This tissue provides additional support to the pelvic floor. The endopelvic fascia is one continuous sheet of tissue and varies in thickness. It permits some shifting of the pelvic structures.
Pelvic fascia extends to cover the organs within the pelvis. It is attached to the fascia that runs along the pelvic floor along the tendinous arch. The fascia which covers pelvic organs can be divided according to the organs that are covered: The front is known as the "vesical layer". It forms the anterior and lateral ligaments of the bladder.
The function of the muscle is fixation of the perineal body (central tendon of perineum), support of the pelvic floor, expulsion of semen in males and last drops of urine in both sexes. [2] The deep transverse perineal muscle lies in the same plane as the urethral sphincter and formerly the two muscles were described together as the constrictor ...
The region of the perineum can be considered a distinct area from pelvic cavity, with the two regions separated by the pelvic diaphragm. The perianal area (peri-and anal) is a subset of the perineum. The following areas are thus classified as parts of the perineal region: perineal pouches: superficial and deep (see above for details)