Search
sciatic foramen (greater/lesser)
The two foraminas formed by the sacrospinous & sacrotuberous ligaments crossing the sciatic notches of the hip bone.
1) Greater sciatic foramen:
- passageway for structures entering or leaving the pelvis (e.g., sciatic nerve)
- in other words it is the door through which all lower limb arteries & nerves leave the pelvis & enter the gluteal region
- the piriformis enters the gluteal region through this foramen & almost fills it
2) Lesser sciatic foramen:
- passageway for structures entering or leaving the perineum (e.g., pudendal nerve)
Related
sacrospinous ligament
General
anatomic region
References
- Stedman's Medical Dictionary 27th ed, Williams &
Wilkins, Baltimore, 1999.
- Clinically Oriented Anatomy, 4th edition, KL Moore &
AF Dalley (eds), Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia,
PA 1999.
Images
images related to sciatic foramen