Anococcygeal nerve
Encyclopedia
The anococcygeal nerve is a nerve
in the pelvis
which provides sensory innervation to the skin over the coccyx
.
. It pierces the sacrotuberous ligament
to supply the skin in the region of the coccyx
as well as the sacrococcygeal joint.
Nerve
A peripheral nerve, or simply nerve, is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of peripheral axons . A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses that are transmitted along each of the axons. Nerves are found only in the peripheral nervous system...
in the pelvis
Pelvis
In human anatomy, the pelvis is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the lower limbs .The pelvis includes several structures:...
which provides sensory innervation to the skin over the coccyx
Coccyx
The coccyx , commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column. Comprising three to five separate or fused vertebrae below the sacrum, it is attached to the sacrum by a fibrocartilaginous joint, the sacrococcygeal symphysis, which permits limited movement between...
.
Structure
The anococcygeal nerve arises from a small plexus known as the coccygeal plexusCoccygeal plexus
The coccygeal plexus is a plexus of nerves near the coccyx bone.-Structure:This plexus is formed by the fifth sacral nerve and the coccygeal nerve...
. It pierces the sacrotuberous ligament
Sacrotuberous ligament
The sacrotuberous ligament is situated at the lower and back part of the pelvis. It is flat, and triangular in form; narrower in the middle than at the ends....
to supply the skin in the region of the coccyx
Coccyx
The coccyx , commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column. Comprising three to five separate or fused vertebrae below the sacrum, it is attached to the sacrum by a fibrocartilaginous joint, the sacrococcygeal symphysis, which permits limited movement between...
as well as the sacrococcygeal joint.
See also
- CoccyxCoccyxThe coccyx , commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column. Comprising three to five separate or fused vertebrae below the sacrum, it is attached to the sacrum by a fibrocartilaginous joint, the sacrococcygeal symphysis, which permits limited movement between...
- Coccydynia (coccyx pain, tailbone pain)CoccydyniaCoccydynia is a medical term meaning pain in the coccyx or tailbone area, usually brought on by sitting too abruptly.-Diagnosis:A number of different conditions can cause pain in the general area of the coccyx, but not all involve the coccyx and the muscles attached to it. The first task of...
- Ganglion imparGanglion imparThe pelvic portion of each sympathetic trunk is situated in front of the sacrum, medial to the anterior sacral foramina. It consists of four or five small sacral ganglia, connected together by interganglionic cords, and continuous above with the abdominal portion...
- Sacral plexusSacral plexus-External links:*...
External links
- Coccyx pain, tailbone pain, coccydynia (Peer-reviewed medical chapter, available free online at eMedicine)