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Dissection of male pelvis from a lateral approach

Lumbosacral part of vertebral canal, opened and viewed from in front

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Image #173-2
Diagram Image
Legend Image
Dissection of male pelvis from a lateral approach
Lumbosacral part of vertebral canal, opened and viewed from in front
The vertebral canal has been opened by grinding away parts of the bodies of the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae, the sacrum and the coccyx. Areolar connective tissue has been removed from the canal and many of the veins that formed the internal vertebral plexus have also been cut away. A fibrous band (7) extending from the dura to the posterior longitudinal ligament at the upper part of the sacral canal has been cut off. The intervertebral foramina have been opened on the left side. The left coccygeal nerve (36) is faintly visible, whereas the right coccygeal nerve is fused with the filum durae matris spinalis and therefore is not visible.
  1. Intervertebral disc L. III-IV (pointer on anulus fibrosus)
  2. Anterior longitudinal ligament
  3. Body of vertebra L. III (partly resected)
  4. Anterior internal vertebral venous plexus
  5. Intervertebral disc L. IV-V (pointer on nucleus pulposus)
  6. Spinal dura mater
  7. Fibrous attachment of dura to posterior longitudinal ligament (cut off)
  8. Sympathetic trunk
  9. Upper pointer: Sacrum (corpus, resected) Lower pointer: Remnant of intervertebral disc S. I-lI
  10. Iliopsoas muscle
  11. Lateral sacral arteries
  12. Femoral nerve
  13. Sacral plexus
  14. External iliac artery
  15. Obturator nerve
  16. Coccygeus muscle (posterior border of pelvic diaphragm)
  17. Piriform muscle
  18. Internal vertebral venous plexus
  19. Transverse process vertebrae L. IV
  20. Ligamentum flavum
  21. Pedicle of arch of vertebra L. V (cut across)
  22. Upper pointer: Spinal ganglion lumbar nerve V Lower pointer: Spinal branch iliolumbar artery
  23. Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve
  24. Obturator nerve
  25. Femoral nerve
  26. Ala of sacrum
  27. Lumbosacral trunk
  28. Sacral nerve I (in anterior (pelvic) sacral foramen)
  29. Dural filum spinal cord (coccygeal nerves fused with this at lower level)
  30. Sacral nerve II
  31. Sacral canal (lined by periosteum)
  32. Sacral nerve III
  33. Sacral nerve IV
  34. Sacral nerve V
  35. Sympathetic trunk
  36. Coccygeal nerve
  37. Coccyx (covered by periosteum)