Female and male pelvis – structure, functions. Anatomy of the pelvic bone

Proven content

The pelvis, or actually an even pelvic bone, is a massive piece of skeleton that connects the spine to the lower limbs. Its task is to support the weight of the torso. The pelvis has a special function in women – it expands with the development of the fetus and the enlargement of the pregnancy belly. The female pelvis is anatomically different from the male pelvis. How is it built?

Construction of the pelvis – the smaller pelvis and the larger pelvis

The pelvis is a bone and joint vertebra that serves as an attachment point for many muscles and is responsible for the correct position of the body. The pelvic bone is made up of the iliac bone, the pubic bone, the sciatic bone, and the obturator opening.

Hip bone (his mouth) – it is the largest part of the pelvis (pelvic bone) and consists of:

1. hip bone shaft (the body of his bones), which is the lower, thickened part of the bone. On its inner surface, the upper fibers of the inner obstruction muscle attach, and on the outer surface above the acetabulum, part of the rectus muscle of the thigh;
2. iliac plate (a wing of his bones), in which the gluteal (outer) and sacro-pelvic surfaces are distinguished. The former is equipped with three gluteal lines: posterior, anterior and inferior, and separates the attachments of the three gluteal muscles. In turn, the sacro-pelvic surface in its anterior part is slightly concave and forms the iliac fossa, and in the posterior region, the abdominal surface serves to connect with the sacrum. Slightly above is the iliac tuberosity, which is the site of ligament and muscle attachment.

The upper edge of the iliac plate is the iliac crest, which ends from the front with the anterior upper iliac spine, and below it is the lower anterior iliac spine. Ligaments and muscles attach to the spines. On the back of the crest there is a posterior upper hip spine, and below it is a lower posterior hip spine.

Pubis bone (the pubs) – this bone is made of:

1. shaft of the pubic bone (the body of the pubic bone), which is separated from the iliac shaft by the iliopubic prominence;
2. the branch of the upper pubic bone (the superior branch of the pubic bone), which goes from the body to the front and medially. There are three surfaces on it: back, top, bottom and three edges (top, front, back). On the medial side it ends with a symphysis surface serving to connect with the opposite bone;
3. branch of the lower pubic bone (the lower branch of the pubic bone), which is quite narrow and flattened and turns into a branch of the ischium.

Ischium (os ischii) consists of the:

1. the shaft of the ischial bone (the body of the ischial bone), which ends at the bottom with a sciatic tumor that supports the body while sitting. There is a sciatic spine in the middle of the shaft. Both muscles and ligaments are attached to it, as well as to the tumor;
2. the branch of the ischium (branch of the ischial bone).

Curtain opening (hole blocked) – it is limited by the pubic bone and the ischial bone, and the obturator is attached to its sharp edges (obturator membrane). The obturator opening is not completely covered by the membrane, which creates the so-called obstruction canal, which is bounded by the obturator furrow and strands of fibers, and through which the vessels and nerves exit the pelvis.

In anatomy, it stands out the greater pelvis and pelvis minorwhich are separated from each other by a borderline. The greater pelvis is part of the abdominal cavity. From the back it is limited by the lumbar spine, and at the sides by the hip bones. From the back, the borders of the smaller pelvis are marked by the sacrum and coccyx, while from the front the pubic symphysis, i.e. the cartilage connecting two pubic bones.

The acetabulum of the hip joint, from which the femurs extend, are embedded in the pelvis. Pelvic bones it connects the network of ligaments that form the pelvic ligaments. It is the ligaments that are responsible for the ability of the pelvis to expand. The bone structure is maintained by:

1. iliopsoas ligament,
2. abdominal sacroiliac ligament,
3. dorsi sacroiliac ligament,
4. sacro-spinal ligament,
5. cruciate tumor ligament,
6. inguinal ligament,
7. ilio-femoral ligament,
8. pubo-femoral ligament,
9. ischio-femoral ligament.

Pelvis – structure in women and men

The structure of the pelvis is determined by gender. In women, the pelvic bone is a natural protection for the uterus, which increases its volume up to 50 times during pregnancy. Biologically, the female pelvis is adapted to facilitate labor. It adapts to its function during adolescence. The two main features that distinguish it from the male pelvis are greater width and less height. This means that the pubic symphysis in men is higher than in women.

The difference is also visible in the downward inclination angle of the pelvic side walls. In men, it is much more pronounced – the bones of the pelvic canal run convergent, not (as in women) almost parallel. Moreover, the entry plane of the male pelvis is heart-shaped, and the plane of the female pelvis – transversely oval.

Pelvis – functions

The pelvis plays a very important role in our body. First, its task is to transfer the weight of the torso onto the legs (which explains its size and massiveness). Secondly, the pelvis with the attached muscles is responsible for keeping the upper body in the correct position, especially when it comes to the vertical position of the spine when standing, especially when walking.

Postpartum pelvis – pelvic floor muscles

After childbirth, the pelvis, like the uterus, returns to its original size. It takes about 6 weeks. The process of returning the uterus and pelvis to the pre-pregnancy state can be improved while avoiding complications such as lowering the uterus. All thanks to the strengthening of the Kegel muscles, which are heavily strained during pregnancy. Weakened cease to perform their functions, i.e. support the organs in the abdominal cavity, i.e. uterus. This, in turn, begins to put pressure on the bladder and causes urinary incontinence.

The pelvic floor muscles (Kegel muscles) attach to the coccyx (pelvis minor), also known as the coccyx. It is worth practicing them from the first weeks of pregnancy, because it guarantees better labor.

Pelvis – the harmful factors

The pelvis, like every element of the organism, is exposed to various damages. Most often they occur when we stay in one sitting position on a chair for many hours and so on for days, months or years, which leads to muscle weakness due to increased tension or sagging. In addition, asymmetry is also negative for the pelvis, e.g. tucking it up while sitting (sitting on the tailbone instead of on the sciatic bumps), for example while relaxing in an armchair or while driving a car.

A further consequence is the weakening of the abdominal muscles, which in turn leads to the collapse of the pelvis. The problem can also happen over time in a seemingly trivial activity like folding one leg over one leg while sitting. Asymmetry can also occur when one of the limbs is injured. This is important as it can lead to back problems.

In turn, the muscles of the pelvic floor can be weakened by pregnancy and childbirth, but also incorrect posture while walking or sitting, or incorrect posture during defecation, which can result in problems with urinary incontinence, pain, organ depression and hemorrhoids. Interestingly, the pelvis is also affected by stress, which can cause muscle tension and lower blood supply.

Pelvis – the most common diseases of the pelvis

Pelvic Diseases – Male Ewing

It is one small cell tumor whose origin is unclear. It most often affects young people (in the first or second decade of life). Interestingly, this cancer develops only in the pelvic bones, but also in the feet. The main symptoms of this tumor include dull bone pain. The bone affected by Ewing’s sarcoma is characterized by reduced mobility and, additionally, it is often swollen. Treatment consists of induction chemotherapy, surgery, followed by postoperative irradiation and postoperative chemotherapy.

See also: Pelvic pain syndrome

Pelvic diseases – pelvic inflammation

This disease affects women more often and is quite difficult to detect as it often develops asymptomatically. The most common symptoms are pain (not only in the pelvis, but also in the lower abdomen) and profuse vaginal discharge accompanied by a specific unpleasant smell. Pain can also happen during sexual intercourse (in addition to feeling tired and feverish). Treatment consists of antibiotic therapy as well as painkillers.

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