Pelvic girdle
The pelvic girdle (lat. Cingulum pelvicum) represents the connection between spine and the leg. It is also called the bony pelvis and, like the shoulder belt, belongs to the zonoskeleton. The pelvic girdle can be subdivided into the hipbone and the sacral bone.
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Anatomy
The pelvic girdle connects the trunk with the legs. It consists of the hip bone and the sacrum. It has a strong and stable bony structure. The basic shape of the pelvic girdle corresponds to a bone ring. The enclosed space of the pelvis narrows from top to bottom. The pelvic girdle shows a clear gender-specific difference. The female pelvis has a larger circumference than the male. Since the pelvic girdle consists of different individual bones, it forms a functional unit.
Function
The pelvic girdle has a supporting function. The main load of the entire human weight lies on it. Furthermore, the pelvic girdle fulfils a protective function. Within the bony pelvis are the pelvic viscera, such as the bladder and sexual organs. These are protected and held in position by the stable bone structure.
Gender-specific differences
The bony pelvis forms the static basis of the pelvis. It consists of a small and a large pelvis. The small pelvis forms the birth canal in women. The female pelvis develops further and more outwardly than the male pelvis. The male pelvis on the other hand is steeper, stronger and narrower. The promontorium is also more pronounced. The greatest difference is the angle of the pubic bone. In women it is on average between 90 - 100° and in men always below 90° (approx. 70°). In men one speaks of the angulus subpubicus, in women of the arcus pubis. Differences can also be found in the sacrum, which is evenly curved in men and bent in women from the 3rd and 4th vertebrae.
