1.1 Identify the bony walls, the joints and the ligaments of the pelvis. Identify the bony and ligamentous boundaries of the perineum. Identify the pelvic viscera, their normal positions and anatomical relationships.
1.2 Identify the extent of the peritoneal cavity, its folds, its reflections, and its pouches and spaces in the female pelvis and their relationship to the pelvic contents. Distinguish between the ligaments which are formed by folds of peritoneum, ligaments formed by the gubernaculums, and ligaments which are formed by condensations of visceral pelvic fascia in terms of their function and location.
1.3 Identify the muscular and ligamentous components of the inguinal ligament and inguinal canal in the female. Demonstrate the surface projections of the inguinal rings and inguinal canal.
1.4 Trace the course of the round ligament of the ovary as it passes through the inguinal canal to the labia majora.
Select Female Pelvis
Indentify the Pubic crest
Identify the Pubic symphysis
Identify the Pubic tubercle
Identify the Anterior superior iliac spine
Identify the Ischial spine
Identify the Coccygeus
Rotate and itdentify the boundaries of the Pelvic Inlet.
Add Piriformis
Rotate and identify the aperatures of the pelvic wall. These include the Greater sciatic foramen, the lesser sciatic foramen and the Obturator canal
Select Right hemipelvis
Note the listed structures that penatrate the pelvic wall through these aperatures.
The lesser foramen is the only entry for vessels and nerves to the perineum. All the other apertures allow entry from the abdomen to the leg and gluteal areas.
Formation of the inguinal canal:
Remember that aponeurosis of the transversalis, internal oblique and the external oblique muscles form the inguinal ligament and the separation of these three aponeuroses forms the liguinal canal.
The deep inguinal ring is where the round ligaments exit the abdomen through the transversalis fascia and follows the aponeuroses of the internal and external oblique muscles to the superfical inguinal ring, where the round ligaments exit near the pubic tubercle and enters the labia majora.
The lacunar ligament runs backward from the inguinal ligament near the pubic ligament and helps to form the pectineal ligament which is also known as Cooper's ligament.
Find the lacunar ligament which has already highlighted on this cadaver.
Below the inguinal ligament is the femoral canal.
Rotate the image in order to see this relationship.
Let us now add the components of the female pelvis in order to see how these are suspended in the pelvis.
Add Ureters
Add Vagina
Add Uterus
The embryologic GUBERNACULUM becomes the round ligament in females. What does the Gubernaculum become in males?
Highlight the ureters to see the relationship to the round ligament.
Notice how the ureters go under the round ligament. This is an important surgical landmark.
Add Uterine tubes
Add Ovarian fimbriae
Add Ovaries
These ligaments are peritoneal folds that contain the ovarian arteries, veins and lymphatics.
The following structures form the Broad ligament which is also a peritoneal fold:
Add Urinary bladder
The peritoneal folds are not visable but, using the following illustration, find the listed pouches:
Vesico-uterine pouch
Recto-uterine pouch