THE URINARY BLADDER 



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which contains a variable quantity of loose fat continuous with the pelvic and 

 abdominal subperitoneal tissue. Each lateral surface is covered by peritoneum 

 down to the level at which it is crossed obUquely from behind forward and upward 

 by the obliterated hypogastric artery. Below this level it is separated from the 

 levator ani and obturator internus by subperitoneal tissue, which usually bears 

 much fat in its meshes and ensheaths the vesical vessels and nerves. It is also 

 crossed by the ductus deferens, which passes between the ureter and the wall 

 of the bladder, a little above the level at which the former enters the wall of the 

 bladder, at the junction of its lateral and posterior surfaces and about 3.5 cm. 

 above the fundus. The posterior surface may be divided into two portions, 

 an upper covered by the peritoneum of the recto-vesical or vesico-uterine pouch 

 (fig. 1013), and a lower in direct contact in the male with the anterior wall of the 



Fig. 1014. — Mid-sagittal Section of the Female Pelvis. (Spalteholz. 



Promontory 

 Ureter 



Hypogastric artery 



Hypogastric vein 



Suspensory ligament of ovary 



External iliac vein 

 Ovary 



Ampulla of tuba uterina 

 Ovarian ligament 

 Fundus uteri \ 



Ligamentum teres \ 



Transverse fold of ^^ \ 

 bladder v \ 



Vertex of bladder \ \ 

 Middle umbilical \ \ \ 

 ligament 



\/ 





Infundibulum of tuba uterina 

 Parietal peritoneum 



Uterus 

 / Internal orifice of 

 , / uterus 



Y /Recto-uterine fold 



^^ \ / Recto-uterine 

 ''^\ \ / muscle 



Fornix of 



• v^jr-'^ > ^/ me pouch 



Urachus 

 Symphysis pubis 



Labium majus 

 Body of uterus 

 Labium minus 



External orifice of urethra / 



Urethra / . 

 Internal orifice of urethra / 

 Orifice of vagina 



Coccyx 



Recto-coccy- 

 \ geus muscle 



\ Rectum 

 Posterior labium 

 External orifice of uterus 



/ / 



Hymen 



Vagina 

 Vesico-uterine pouch 

 Vestibule 



\ Anterior labium 

 Anus 



rectum and with the lower part of the ductus deferentes and the vesiculse semin- 

 ales. Between the diverging ductus deferentes there is a triangular space, whose 

 base is formed by the line of reflexion of the recto-vesical pouch of peritoneum 

 and the apex by the meeting of the ejaculatory ducts at the summit of the prostate. 

 It represents the area of direct contact of the posterior wall of the bladder with the 

 rectum. In the female the posterior surface is adherent in its lower part to the 

 cervix of the uterus and the upper part of the anterior wall of the vagina (fig. 1014), 

 but it is Separated above from the body of the uterus by the shallow vesico- 

 uterine pouch of peritoneum. 



The superior surface is entirely covered by peritoneum. It looks almost 



