Top videos
The pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm is composed of muscle fibers of the levator ani, the coccygeus, and associated connective tissue which span the area underneath the pelvis. The pelvic diaphragm is a muscular partition formed by the levatores ani and coccygei, with which may be included the parietal pelvic fascia on their upper and lower aspects. The pelvic floor separates the pelvic cavity above from the perineal region (including perineum) below.
The right and left levator ani lie almost horizontally in the floor of the pelvis, separated by a narrow gap that transmits the urethra, vagina, and anal canal. The levator ani is usually considered in three parts: pubococcygeus, puborectalis, and iliococcygeus. The pubococcygeus, the main part of the levator, runs backward from the body of the pubis toward the coccyx and may be damaged during parturition. Some fibers are inserted into the prostate, urethra, and vagina. The right and left puborectalis unite behind the anorectal junction to form a muscular sling . Some regard them as a part of the sphincter ani externus. The iliococcygeus, the most posterior part of the levator ani, is often poorly developed.
The coccygeus, situated behind the levator ani and frequently tendinous as much as muscular, extends from the ischial spine to the lateral margin of the sacrum and coccyx.
The pelvic cavity of the true pelvis has the pelvic floor as its inferior border (and the pelvic brim as its superior border.) The perineum has the pelvic floor as its superior border.
Some sources do not consider “pelvic floor” and “pelvic diaphragm” to be identical, with the “diaphragm” consisting of only the levator ani and coccygeus, while the “floor” also includes the perineal membrane and deep perineal pouch. However, other sources include the fascia as part of the diaphragm. In practice, the two terms are often used interchangeably.
Inferiorly, the pelvic floor extends into the anal triangle.
What is a Whipple procedure?
Also called a pancreaticoduodenectomy, the Whipple procedure is performed to address chronic pancreatitis and cancer of the pancreas, ampulla of Vater, duodenum, and the distal bile duct. The Whipple procedure involves removing the cancerous parts of the pancreas, duodenum, common bile duct, and if required, part of the stomach.
Wound healing, or wound repair, is the body's natural process of regenerating dermal and epidermal tissue. When an individual is wounded, a set of complex biochemical events takes place in a closely orchestrated cascade to repair the damage. These events overlap in time and may be artificially categorized into separate steps: the inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling phases (Some authors consider healing to take place in four or more stages, by splitting different parts of inflammation or proliferation into separate steps.). In the inflammatory phase, bacteria and debris are phagocytized and removed, and factors are released that cause the migration and division of cells involved in the proliferative phase.
Brain tumor survivor Robert Alvarez and neurosurgeon Sujit Prabhu, M.D., explain why and how Robert played the guitar during his surgery for a grade II astrocytoma. It was the first time a brain tumor patient played a musical instrument during an awake craniotomy at MD Anderson.
Read Robert Alvarez's story: https://www.mdanderson.org/pub....lications/cancerwise
Learn about awake craniotomy for brain tumors: https://www.mdanderson.org/pub....lications/cancerwise
Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online at: https://my.mdanderson.org/Requ....estAppointment?cmpid