Pudendal nerve
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| Nerve: Pudendal nerve | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Dissection of side wall of pelvis showing sacral and pudendal plexuses. (Pudendal nerve labeled at center right.) | ||
 | ||
| Sacral plexus of the right side. (Inferior pudendal labeled at bottom right.) | ||
| Latin | nervus pudendus | |
| Gray's | subject #213 967 | |
| Innervates | ||
| From | sacral plexus | |
| To | inferior rectal nerves perineal nerve dorsal nerve of the penis | |
| MeSH | {{{MeshNumber}}} | |
The pudendal nerve is a nerve in the pelvic region that innervates the external genitalia of both sexes, as well as sphincters for the bladder and the rectum.
Contents |
[edit] Anatomy
The pudendal nerve originates in the sacral plexus; it derives its fibers from the ventral branches of the second, third, and fourth sacral nerves (S2, S3, S4).
It passes between the piriformis and coccygeus muscles and leaves the pelvis through the lower part of the greater sciatic foramen.
It crosses the spine of the ischium, and reenters the pelvis through the lesser sciatic foramen.
It accompanies the internal pudendal vessels upward and forward along the lateral wall of the ischiorectal fossa, being contained in a sheath of the obturator fascia termed the pudendal canal.
The pudendal nerve gives off the inferior anal nerves. It soon divides into two terminal branches: the perineal nerve, and the dorsal nerve of the penis (males) or the dorsal nerve of the clitoris (in females).
| Branch | Description |
| Inferior anal nerves | given off shortly after passing through the Greater sciatic foramen. |
| Perineal nerve | more superficial terminal branch |
| Dorsal nerve of penis/Dorsal nerve of clitoris | deeper terminal branch, travelling into the deep perineal pouch |
[edit] Physiology
The pudendal nerve innervates the penis and clitoris, bulbospongiosus and ischiocavernosus muscles, and areas around the scrotum, perineum, and anus. At sexual climax, the spasms in the bulbospongiosus and ischiocavernous results in ejaculation in the male and most of the feelings of orgasm in both sexes.
[edit] Pathology
Difficult childbirth or bicycling can compress or stretch the pudendal nerve but permanent injury is rare. Entrapment of the nerve is very rare but can happen. Pudendal Nerve Entrapment (PNE) is akin to Carpal Tunnel syndrome.
[edit] Additional images
 The superficial branches of the internal pudendal artery. |
 Plan of sacral and pudendal plexuses. |
[edit] External links
- SUNY Figs 41:04-11 - "Inferior view of female perineum, branches of the internal pudendal artery."
- Human anatomy at Dartmouth figures/chapter_32/32-2.HTM
- Human anatomy at Dartmouth figures/chapter_32/32-3.HTM
- Cross section at UV pelvis/pelvis-female-17
lumbar plexus: iliohypogastric - ilioinguinal - genitofemoral (femoral branch/lumboinguinal, genital branch) - lateral cutaneous of thigh (patellar) - obturator (anterior, cutaneous, posterior, accessory) - femoral (anterior cutaneous branches, saphenous)
sacral/coccygeal plexus: to quadratus femoris - to obturator internus - to the piriformis - superior gluteal - inferior gluteal - posterior cutaneous of thigh (inferior cluneal, perineal branches)
sciatic: tibial (medial sural cutaneous, sural, medial calcaneal, medial plantar, lateral plantar) - common fibular (lateral sural cutaneous, deep fibular, superficial fibular, medial dorsal cutaneous, intermediate dorsal cutaneous)
pudendal plexus: perforating cutaneous - pudendal (dorsal of the penis/clitoris, inferior anal, perineal and posterior scrotal/labial) - anococcygeal
- de:Nervus pudendus
| This page uses content from the English-language version of Wikipedia. The original article was at Pudendal nerve. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Psychology Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License. |
