Pelvic floor anatomy

The pelvis is a complex structure made up of bones, muscles, ligaments, and fascia and con- tains organs such as the bladder, urethra, uterus, prostate, and rectum. The pelvic floor is separated into three compartments (anterior, middle, and posterior) and consists of muscles and connective tissue that work as a coordinated system to sup- port the organs and to prevent dysfunctions. This chapter attempts to provide an essential description of those structures and organs of pel- vic floor that contribute to the complex mecha- nism of anal continence. The pelvic cavity, the anterior and middle compartment of the pelvic floor, and the ischioanal fossae are anatomic structures beyond the scope of this section. Fecal incontinence is described mostly as a disorder of the posterior compartment of pelvic floor, managed traditionally by colorectal sur- geons. Therefore, in order to make easier to understand the physiology of continence mecha- nism, we concentrated our attention to the ana- tomical aspects regarding the muscles of pelvic floor and the structure of the anorectum.