INTERNAL PUDENDAL ARTERY 



611 



Relations.— PFi^Azn the pelvis, the artery is anterior to the piriformis muscle and the sacral 

 plexus of nerves, and lateral to the inferior gluteal artery. It passes between the piriformis 

 and coccygeus, with the gluteal artery and pudendal nerve medial to it, and the nerve to the ob- 

 turator internus lateral. The sciatic and posterior femoral cutaneous (lesser sciatic) nerves 

 are still more lateral. On the ischial spine the artery retains its relations to the pudendal nerve 

 (which often divides in this situation into its two terminal branches) and the nerve to the ob- 

 turator internus. It is accompanied by venae comitantes and covered by the gluteus maximus 



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3)nvi ;}.P f,,? '"'^^^-^f[^lf''^''^a^ .the artery is placed on the lateral waU about 3.5 cm. (1| in.) 

 mJock^^cluJ^^^^^^ '' accompanied in a canal in the obturator fascii 



abovetnd Sbl the arter^ "'''^' ""'"'' ' """"""^ "'''^'' ""'^"'^ "'' ^'espectively 



clnfPf branches Of the internal pudendal artery are:— (1) Small branches to the 

 gmtealregion; (2) the inferior ha^morrhoidal arteries; and the terminal branches 

 {6) permeal; and (4) arterj^ to the penis or cHtoris. 



