Sacrotuberous ligament
Encyclopedia
The sacrotuberous ligament (great or posterior sacrosciatic ligament) is situated at the lower and back part of the pelvis
. It is flat, and triangular in form; narrower in the middle than at the ends.
It runs from the sacrum
(the lower transverse sacral tubercles, the inferior margins sacrum and the upper coccyx
) to the tuberosity of the ischium
.
The membranous falciform process of the sacrotuberous ligament was found to be absent in 13% of cadavers. When present it extends towards the ischioanal fossa travelling along the ischial ramus and fusing with the obturator fascia.
The sacrotuberous ligament contains the coccygeal branch of the inferior gluteal artery
.
The lower border of the ligament was found to be directly continuous with the tendon of origin of the long head of the Biceps femoris in approximately 50% of subjects. Biceps femoris could therefore act to stabilise the sacroiliac joint via the sacrotuberous ligament.
If the pudendal nerve
becomes entrapped between this ligament and the sacrospinous ligament
causing perineal pain, the sacrotuberous ligament is surgically severed to relieve the pain.
Pelvis
In human anatomy, the pelvis is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the lower limbs .The pelvis includes several structures:...
. It is flat, and triangular in form; narrower in the middle than at the ends.
It runs from the sacrum
Sacrum
In vertebrate anatomy the sacrum is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine and at the upper and back part of the pelvic cavity, where it is inserted like a wedge between the two hip bones. Its upper part connects with the last lumbar vertebra, and bottom part with the coccyx...
(the lower transverse sacral tubercles, the inferior margins sacrum and the upper coccyx
Coccyx
The coccyx , commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column. Comprising three to five separate or fused vertebrae below the sacrum, it is attached to the sacrum by a fibrocartilaginous joint, the sacrococcygeal symphysis, which permits limited movement between...
) to the tuberosity of the ischium
Tuberosity of the ischium
-External links: - "The Female Perineum: Bones" - "Major Joints of the Lower Extremity: Hip bone "...
.
The membranous falciform process of the sacrotuberous ligament was found to be absent in 13% of cadavers. When present it extends towards the ischioanal fossa travelling along the ischial ramus and fusing with the obturator fascia.
The sacrotuberous ligament contains the coccygeal branch of the inferior gluteal artery
Inferior gluteal artery
The inferior gluteal artery , the larger of the two terminal branches of the anterior trunk of the internal iliac artery, is distributed chiefly to the buttock and back of the thigh....
.
The lower border of the ligament was found to be directly continuous with the tendon of origin of the long head of the Biceps femoris in approximately 50% of subjects. Biceps femoris could therefore act to stabilise the sacroiliac joint via the sacrotuberous ligament.
If the pudendal nerve
Pudendal nerve
The pudendal nerve is a sensory and somatic nerve in the pelvic region which is a large branch of the sacral plexus that innervates the external genitalia of both sexes, as well as sphincters for the bladder and the rectum...
becomes entrapped between this ligament and the sacrospinous ligament
Sacrospinous ligament
-External links: - "Posterior view of the bones and ligaments of the hip joint."*...
causing perineal pain, the sacrotuberous ligament is surgically severed to relieve the pain.