greater sciatic foramen
{{Short description|Part of the pelvis}}
{{Use American English|date = January 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = January 2019}}
{{Infobox anatomy
| Name = Greater sciatic foramen
| Latin = foramen ischiadicum majus
| Image = Greater_sciatic_foramen.png
| Caption = The pelvis showing the greater sciatic foramen in red
| System =
}}
The greater sciatic foramen is an opening (foramen) in the posterior human pelvis. It is formed by the sacrotuberous and sacrospinous ligaments. The piriformis muscle passes through the foramen and occupies most of its volume. The greater sciatic foramen is wider in women than in men.
Structure
It is bounded as follows:
- anterolaterally by the greater sciatic notch of the ilium.{{Citation|last=Chaitow|first=Leon|title=Chapter 11 - The pelvis|date=2011-01-01|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780443068157000115|work=Clinical Application of Neuromuscular Techniques, Volume 2 (Second Edition)|pages=299–389|editor-last=Chaitow|editor-first=Leon|place=Oxford|publisher=Churchill Livingstone|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-0-443-06815-7.00011-5|isbn=978-0-443-06815-7|access-date=2021-02-06|last2=DeLany|first2=Judith|editor2-last=DeLany|editor2-first=Judith|url-access=subscription}}
- posteromedially by the sacrotuberous ligament.
- inferiorly by the sacrospinous ligament and the ischial spine.
- superiorly by the anterior sacroiliac ligament.
Function
The piriformis, which exits the pelvis through the foramen, occupies most of its volume.
The following structures also exit the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen:{{cite web|url=http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/greater_sciatic_foramen|publisher=wheelessonline.com|title=Greater Sciatic Foramen - Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics|access-date=2016-12-27}}
| class="wikitable"
! Location !! Name !! Vessels !! Nerves | |||
| Above the Piriformis | suprapiriform foramen{{cite book |author1=Yokochi, Chihiro|author2=Rohen, Johannes W.|author2-link=Rohen, Johannes W.|title=Color Atlas of Anatomy: A Photographic Study of the Human Body |publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins |location=Hagerstown, MD |year= 2006|isbn=978-0-7817-9013-0 |page=482}} | superior gluteal vessels | superior gluteal nerve |
| Below the Piriformis | infrapiriform foramen | 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 |
See also
References
{{Gray's}}
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{DukeOrtho|Greater_sciatic_foramen}}
- {{NormanAnatomy|glutealregion}} ({{NormanAnatomyFig|glutealart}}, {{NormanAnatomyFig|glutealner}})
{{Pelvis}}
{{Portal bar|Anatomy}}
{{Authority control}}