Greater sciatic foramen

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Greater sciatic foramen
Articulations of pelvis, anterior view, with greater sciatic foramen (labeled in red) and its boundaries.
Muscles of the gluteal and posterior femoral regions, piriformis labeled
Latin	foramen ischiadicum majus
Gray's	subject #80 309
Dorlands/Elsevier	f_12/12373169

The greater sciatic foramen is a major foramen of the pelvis.

Contents 1 Boundaries 2 Contents 3 Additional images 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Boundaries

It is bounded as follows:

• anterolaterally by the greater sciatic notch of the illium
• posteromedially by the sacrotuberous ligament
• inferiorly by the sacrospinous ligament and the ischial spine
• superiorly by the anterior sacroilliac ligament

[edit] Contents

It is partially filled up, in the recent state, by the Piriformis which leaves the pelvis through it.

The following structures make their exit from the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen:

Location	Name	Vessels	Nerves
Above the Piriformis	suprapiriform foramen[1][2]	superior gluteal vessels	superior gluteal nerve
Below the Piriformis	infrapiriform foramen[3][2]	inferior gluteal vessels internal pudendal vessels	inferior gluteal nerve pudendal nerve sciatic nerve posterior femoral cutaneous nerve Nerve to obturator internus Nerve to quadratus femoris

[edit] Additional images

Right hip bone. External surface.	Left Levator ani from within.	The arteries of the gluteal and posterior femoral regions.	Nerves of the right lower extremity Posterior view.
Left gluteal region, showing surface markings for arteries and sciatic nerve.

[edit] References

1. ^ f_12/12373751 at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
2. ^ ^{a b} Yokochi, Chihiro; Rohen, Johannes W.. Color Atlas of Anatomy: A Photographic Study of the Human Body. Hagerstwon, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 482. ISBN 0-7817-9013-1. 
3. ^ f_12/12373119 at Dorland's Medical Dictionary

[edit] External links

• SUNY Labs 41:os-0109
• Duke Orthopedics greater_sciatic_foramen
• Norman/Georgetown glutealregion (glutealart, glutealner)

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

v • d • e Bones of pelvis/pelvic cavity General sacrum, coccyx, hip bone Ilium Body (Arcuate line) Wing: gluteal lines (Posterior, Anterior, Inferior) - Fossa - iliac spines (Anterior superior, Anterior inferior, Posterior superior, Posterior inferior) - Crest - Tuberosity Ischium Body (Ischial spine, Lesser sciatic notch) - Superior ramus (Tuberosity of the ischium) - Inferior ramus Pubis Body - Superior ramus (Pubic tubercle, Pubic crest, Obturator crest) - Inferior ramus (Pectineal line) Compound Acetabulum (Acetabular notch) - Iliopubic eminence/Iliopectineal line - Linea terminalis - Ischiopubic ramus/Pubic arch Obturator foramen - Greater sciatic foramen/Greater sciatic notch - Lesser sciatic foramen Lesser pelvis (Pelvic inlet, Pelvic brim, Pelvic outlet) - Greater pelvis