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Introduction to the female pelvis and perineum

Published on August 31, 2026   45 min

A selection of talks on Reproduction & Development

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0:00
Hello. I'm Diogo Pais, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the NOVA Medical School of the NOVA University of Lisbon in Portugal. I will be talking to you about the female pelvis and perineum.
0:18
After a short overview and some functions, superficial topography, we will go through the bones, the joints, the muscles, the organs, the arteries, veins, lymphatics, and nerves, and we will end this talk with some examples of diseases affecting the female pelvis and perineum.
0:40
The pelvis is a large cavity continuous with the abdomen. Together, the abdomen and the pelvis form the largest visceral space in the human body.
0:52
The pelvis has multiple important functions, namely: It bears the weight of the vertebral column in the standing position. It contains and protects digestive, urinary, and internal genital organs. It is involved in several physiologic functions such as respiration, childbirth, defecation, and micturition. It provides passage to neurovascular structures between the lower limb and the abdomen.
1:21
The superficial boundaries of the female pelvis are usually very easily appreciated. Superiorly, the pelvis is limited by a horizontal line that crosses the upper edges of the iliac bones; anteriorly, by the lower abdominal wall;
1:39
inferiorly, the pelvis is bounded by the perineum. That is to say, the space between the thighs. Posteriorly, the pelvis is limited by the sacral and coccygeal regions (the gluteal region). Let us take the opportunity to define the perineum in surface anatomy. The perineum is the diamond-shaped area located between the pubic symphysis anteriorly, the coccyx posteriorly, and the right and left ischial tuberosities laterally. The perineum can be subdivided by a transverse line between the ischial tuberosities into an anterior or urogenital triangle and a posterior or anal triangle. The female pelvis is a basin-shaped cavity.

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