The pelvic diaphragm is the muscular bowl-shaped part of the pelvic floor that is attached to the pelvic walls.

Superior view of the pelvic diaphragm (Credit: OpenStax, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Description

The pelvic diaphragm extends between the anterior, lateral, and posterior walls of the lesser pelvis.

  • The pelvic diaphragm forms the pelvic floor in combination with the perineal membrane and the muscles of the deep perineal bursa in the anterior midline.
  • It separates the pelvic cavity from the perineum.

Parts

The pelvic diaphragm consists of the following structures:

  • The levator ani muscle group
  • The coccygeus muscle
  • The fascias (L. fasciae)

The pelvic diaphragm relates to the greater and the lesser foramen when its circular line of attachment to the cylindrical pelvic wall passes through them bilaterally.

By attaching to the obturator fascia, the pelvic diaphragm divides the obturator internus into two: a superior pelvic section and an inferior perineal section, respectively.

  • The obturator vessels

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