FEMALE PELVIS

THE PELVIS

The pelvic girdle, a basin shaped cavity, is a bony ring between the movable vertebrae f
the vertebral column which it supports and the lower limbs that it rests on.

FUNTIONS OF FEMALE PELVIS

Allow the movement of the body (Walking & Running)

Helps to sit, stand & kneel
Helps for delivery process
Transmit the weight from trunk to leg
Act as bridge between femur
Protects the vital organs

PELVIC BONE

THE INNOMINATE BONE

It is otherwise known as Nameless bone or Hip bone. The innominate bone contains a deep
cup to receive the head of the femur named as acetabulum. Two fifths ilium, two fifths ischium
and one fifths pubic bone forms the acetabulum. The innominate bone composed of three parts.
They are
The Ilium
The Ischium
 The Pubic
The Ilium
The margin of the iliac bone is named as iliac crest
Anterior large flared out part is known as iliac fossa
Bony prominence presents anteriorly known as anterior superior iliac spine and
anterior inferior iliac spine
Bony prominence presents posteriorly known as posterior superior iliac spine and
posterior inferior iliac spine
The Ischium
Thick lower part of the pelvis is known as Ischial bone
It has a large prominence known as the ischial tuberosity, on which the body rests
when sitting
Inward projection of the ischial bone is known as ischial spine that helps to find out
the station of the head during progress of labour
The Pubis
Pubic bone consists of three parts. They are Superior ramus, Inferior ramus & body
of the pubic bone
The two pubic bones meet Symphysis pubis and two inferior rami form the pubic
arch, merging into a similar ramus on the ischium.
Pubic angle helps to find out the pelvis adequacy
The space enclosed by the body of pubi bone, rami and ischium is called as Obturaor
foramen

THE SACRUM
The sacrum is a wedge shaped bone consisting of five fused vertebrae
The upper border of the first sacral vertebrae, which forward is known as sacral
promontory.
Anterior part is concave and named as hollow of the sacrum. Posterior part is convex
and very hard in nature for articulation of the muscles.
Laterally the sacrum extends in to a wing or ala. Four pairs of hole through which
Cauda Equina emerge to supply the pelvic organs
THE COCCYX
It is otherwise known as vestigial tail.
It is formed by the fusion of four vertebrae, forming the triangular bone which
articulates with the fifth sacral segment.

PELVIC JOINTS
One symphysis pubis
It is the midline cartilaginous joint uniting the rami of the left and right pubic bones
Two Sacroiliac joints
Sacrum and iliac bone fuse to form the sacroiliac joint.
One sacrococcygeal joint
It is formed where the base of the coccyx articulates with the tip of the Sacrum.

PELVIC LIGAMENTS
Interpubic:
This ligament lies in Symphysis pubis
Sacroiliac:
Sacroiliac ligament lies between sacrum and ilium
Sacrococcygeal:
This ligament lies between the sacrum and coccyx
Sacrotuberous:
It runs from the sacrum to the ischial tuberosity
Sacrospinous:
It extends from sacrum to the ischial spine
THE TRUE PELVIS
It is the bony canal through which the fetus must pass during birth. It has a brim, cavity
and outlet.
The pelvic brim:
The superior circumference forms the brim of the true pelvis, the included space being
called the inlet. The brim is round except where the sacral promontory projects into it.
The landmarks of the pelvic brim or inlet are
Sacral promontory
Ala/Wing
Sacro iliac joint
Ileopectineal line
Ileopectineal eminence
Upper part of the superior ramus
Upper part of the body of the pubic bone
Upper inner aspects of the symphysis pubis
The pelvic cavity
The cavity of the true pelvis extends from the brim superiorly to the outlet inferiorly.
The anterior wall is formed by the pubic bones and symphysis pubis and its depth is
4cm
The posterior wall is formed by the curve of the sacrum, which is 12cm in length.
The pelvic outlet
The lower circumference of the true pelvis is very irregular, the space enclosed by
it is called outlet.
Two outlets are anatomical and obstetrical outlet
The anatomical outlet is formed by the lower borders of each of the bones
together with the sacrotuberous ligament
The obstetrical outlet is of greater practical significance which includes narrow
pelvic strait through which the fetus must pass
 The narrow pelvic strait lies between the sacrococcygeal joint, the two ischial
spines and the lower border of the symphysis pubs
The obstetrical outlet is the space between the narrow pelvic strait and the
anatomical outlet. This outlet is diamond shaped.

The Diameters of the Pelvic brim

Anteroposterior or conjugate diameter
Anatomical conjugate:
It measures 12 cm from sacral promontory to uppermost point of the
symphysis pubis
Obstetrical conjugate:
It measures 11 cm is measured from the sacral promontory to the posterior
border of the upper surface of the symphysis pubis, which is 1.25cm lower.
Diagonal conjugate:
It measures 12-13 cm which extends from lower part of the symphysis
pubis to sacral promontory.
Oblique diameter:
It extends between sacroiliac joint to opposite side of the ileopectineal
eminence. It measures 12 cm.
Transverse diameter:
It measures 13 cm which extends in between the furthest point of
ileopectineal lines.
The diameters of the cavity:
The pelvic cavity is round in shape so all the diameters are 12 cm
The diameters of the pelvic outlet:
Anteroposterior diameter
It measures 13 cm from sacrococcygeal joint to lower part of the symphysis pubis
Oblique diameter:
It lies in between the obturator foramen to sacrospinous ligament and
measures about 12 cm.
Transverse diameter:
It extends between two ischial spines and measures about 10-11cm.
TYPES OF PELVIS

Features Gynaecoid Android Anthropoid Platypelloid

Brim Rounded Heart-shaped Long oval Kidney shaped
Fore pelvis Generous Narrow Narrowed Wide
Side walls Straight Convergent Divergent Divergent
Ischial spines Blunt Prominent Blunt Blunt
Sciatic notch Rounded Narrow Wide Wide
Sub-pbic angle 90 <90 >90 90
Incidence 50% 20% 25%va 5%