Abstract
Knowledge of female pelvic anatomy helps the clinician recognize correctly childbirth trauma and manage it accordingly. This chapter presents aspects of the anatomy of abdominal wall, external and internal genital organs, anal sphincter and pelvic muscles, including levator ani. The vulva consists of mons pubis, clitoris, hymen, labia minora and majora, vestibule and urethral meatus. The vagina is a virtual cavity between the bladder anteriorly and rectum posteriorly, a musculo-membranous organ that connects the vulva and the uterus. The muscles of the external female genitalia are formed by pelvic muscles and cavernous bodies (ischiocavernosus and bulbocavernosus). The pelvic diaphragm that supports the pelvic load is formed by the levator ani muscle (pubovaginalis, pubourethralis, puborectalis and iliococcygeus muscles) and the coccygeus muscle. The anal sphincter is formed by the external and internal anal sphincter, with different structures and function.
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Iancu, G. (2017). Female Pelvic Anatomy. In: Doumouchtsis, S. (eds) Childbirth Trauma. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6711-2_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6711-2_1
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