Greater sciatic foramen
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Jones J, Hacking C, MacManus D, et al. Greater sciatic foramen. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 05 Dec 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-5008
rID:
5008
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Jeremy Jones had no recorded disclosures.
View Jeremy Jones's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Revisions:
9 times, by
5 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
The greater sciatic foramen is a large osteoligamentous foramen within the pelvis that is a major conduit of neurovascular structures from the pelvis to the lower limb. The greater sciatic foramen is separated from the smaller lesser sciatic foramen below by the sacrospinous ligament.
Gross anatomy
Boundaries
In a clockwise fashion, its boundaries include:
- superior: anterior sacroiliac ligament
- posteromedial: sacrotuberous ligament
- inferior: sacrospinous ligament and ischial spine
- anterolateral: greater sciatic notch
Contents
Many structures enter or exit the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen and are broadly divided based on whether they lie above or below the piriformis muscle - the suprapiriform and infrapiriform foramina respectively.
Suprapiriform foramen
Infrapiriform foramen
References
- 1. Standring S (editor). Gray's Anatomy (39th edition). Churchill Livingstone. (2011) ISBN:0443066841. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Chummy S. Sinnatamby. Last's Anatomy. (2020) ISBN: 9780702033957
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Nerve to quadratus femoris and inferior gemellus
- Lower extremity neuropathy
- Sacrospinous ligament
- Inferior gluteal artery
- Superior gluteal artery
- Greater sciatic notch
- Lesser sciatic foramen
- Inferior gluteal neuropathy
- Sciatic neuropathy
- Infrapiriform foramen (mnemonic)
- Sciatic hernia
- Internal pudendal vein
- Posterior femoral cutaneous nerve
- Sacrotuberous ligament
- Cardinal ligament
- Pudendal nerve
- Superior gluteal neuropathy
- Piriformis muscle
- Sciatic nerve
- Ischium
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