Library · Anatomy
Pelvis
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The pelvis is the middle part of the body: it runs from the lumbar region of the abdomen, at the top, to the thighs, at the bottom. It is not just bone. It has four parts: the bony pelvis, the pelvic cavity, which is the space inside, the pelvic floor, which is the hammock of muscle that closes it off below, and the perineum, the region at the outlet.
It does several things at once. It carries the weight of everything above it. It transfers that weight to the lower limbs, that is, the legs. It serves as an anchor point for trunk muscles. And it protects the pelvic viscera, the organs housed in that space.
And it has a shape that matters. The pelvic ring is formed by the sacrum, the triangular bone at the base of the spine, and the two innominate bones, one on each side. It is a ring: if it breaks in only one place, the pieces do not shift. For them to shift, it has to break in two places.
In brief
The pelvis runs from the lower back to the thighs and is made up of the bony pelvis, pelvic cavity, pelvic floor, and perineum.
Besides carrying the weight of the upper body, it transfers that weight to the legs, anchors trunk muscles, and protects the pelvic viscera.
The pelvic ring is formed by the sacrum and the two innominate bones, and the pieces shift only if the ring breaks in two places.
It is a ring: if it breaks in only one place, the pieces do not shift.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingAnatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Pelvis, StatPearlsPublished
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