A significant component of the human skeleton is the pelvis. Ideally, it provides a person with an upright posture and a secure stance. This structure can have damage from birth or suffer damage during a person’s lifetime. The same applies to the blood vessels and nerves in the area of the pelvic girdle. The result is usually problems with walking or posture problems.
What is a pelvis?
People dance, twist on their axis or bend. We are restlessly moving in different ways. How is this possible? The answer is through our axial skeleton, which consists of the spine, pelvis and lower extremities and extends from the head to the feet. Disorders in the individual sections spread in many cases and cause other disorders such as malalignment of the feet and others. The pelvis as a part of the human skeleton is located below the abdomen and above the legs. This part of the body forms the center of the human body. Furthermore, this part of the human skeleton refers to the bony part of this body region, which is composed of the two hip bones and together with the sacrum forms the pelvic girdle. There is a connection between the bony pelvis and the spine.
Anatomy and structure
A division of the pelvis takes place into large pelvis (pelvis major) and small pelvis (pelvis minor). The pelvic inlet and pelvic outlet and the pelvic cavity form the lesser pelvis. In addition, the small pelvis contains the following pelvic organs and glands:
- Rectum
- Urinary bladder
- Ovaries (in women)
- Uterus (in women)
- Prostate (in men)
- Vagina (in women)
- Smaller accessory sex glands
The large pelvis is part of the abdominal cavity, protrudes forward and is wide open at the top. The bony part of this body region consists of the sacrum, coccyx and the two hip bones. A hip bone is composed of the following bones: ilium, ischium and pubis. The male and female pelvis differ in essential characteristics. The male one is narrow and high, while the female one has a flared shape. Furthermore, the pelvic outlet is wider in females than in males. In females, the angle of the pubic symphysis is greater than 90 degrees, while in males it is smaller.
Function and tasks
Articulated connection between the spine and the lower extremities is the purpose of the pelvis. The tasks of the pelvis relate to the pelvic floor, pelvic muscles, back and abdominal muscles, pelvic joints, sphincter muscles and spine. With the spine it is articulated, but firmly connected. That is why the possibilities of movement are limited. In this way, a secure stand and an upright posture are ensured. The optimal function of the pelvis is achieved by the balanced interaction of the bony part of this body region, including its joints, with the muscular apparatus. This means that the pelvic ring is not rigid, but has limited mobility. An important task of the pelvis is to evenly transfer the body weight resting on the spine to the two thigh bones. The sacrum and ilium fuse at a young age to form the ilium. The hip bone consists of the ilium, pubis and ischium. These three bones are connected on each side by the sacro-intestinal joint. This joint is extremely important for cushioning the spine. The floor of the pelvic cavity (pelvic floor) closes the pelvis downward. It also supports the internal organs and in this way enables the person to maintain an upright posture. Furthermore, it ensures the functioning of the bladder and bowel sphincters and contributes to a pleasurable sex life. The muscles of the pelvic floor are connected with the abdominal and back muscles as well as with the respiratory muscles. If the abdominal muscles are sufficiently trained, they relieve the pelvic floor and cushion pressure loads. These arise from sneezing, coughing or jumping. The back muscles support and move the spine. Together with the muscles in the abdomen, they ensure an upright gait and stability of the pelvis. The pelvic floor muscles perform their tasks involuntarily, that is, unconsciously. However, a person can consciously tense and release his muscles.From this it follows: the pelvic floor can be trained and women have the opportunity to prepare it for stresses such as pregnancy.
Diseases and pain
Diseases and ailments related to the pelvis, such as a pelvic fracture, are common. Usually, a pelvic fracture is a harmless fracture of the pubic or ischial bone, the cause of which is falls or traffic accidents. In addition, in many cases, a pelvic fracture occurs in people with bone loss. In young people, accidents such as a motorcycle accident are usually the cause of a pelvic fracture. Except in a dramatic accident, a pelvic fracture can happen in everyday actions. A pelvic fracture occurs more often in older people. Falling out of bed or missing the seat when sitting down can be enough. Stable or unstable pelvic fractures are common. Stable fracture means an isolated fracture of the ischium or pubis. Unstable fracture is either a complete fracture of the pelvic ring or a disruption of the connections of the bones. Here the bones shift against each other. Furthermore, in many cases joint pain and muscle pain are the result of injuries, malformations and diseases of the pelvic girdle. As a rule, joint pain is caused by wear and tear. Physicians speak of osteoarthritis.
