Urogenital diaphragm
Coronal section of anterior part of pelvis, through the pubic arch. Seen from in front.
Vertical section of bladder, penis, and urethra.
Gray's	subject #120 428
Artery	branches of internal pudendal artery
Vein	branches of internal pudendal veins
Nerve	branches of perineal nerve

Older texts have asserted the existence of an urogenital diaphragm, which was described as a layer of the pelvis that separates the deep perineal sac from the upper pelvis, lying between the inferior fascia of the urogenital diaphragm and superior fascia of the urogenital diaphragm.

While this term is used to refer to a layer of the pelvis that separates the deep perineal sac from the upper pelvis, such a discrete border of the sac probably does not exist.^{[1][2][3] [4][5]}

While it has no official entry in Terminologia Anatomica, the term is still used occasionally to describe the muscular components of the deep perineal pouch. The urethra and the vagina, though part of the pouch, are usually said to be passing through the urogenital diaphragm, rather than part of the diaphragm itself. ^[2]

Some researchers still assert that such a diaphragm exists, ^[6] and the term is still used in the literature.^[7]

The term "urogenital diaphragm" is often confused with the pelvic floor, which is a true diaphragm supporting many of the pelvic organs.

[edit] References

v • d • e List of muscles of perineum (TA A09.5, GA 4.425) Perineum Anal triangle sphincter ani (externus, internus) Ischioanal fossa · Pudendal canal Urogenital triangle superficial perineal pouch (superficial transverse perineal, bulbospongiosus, ischiocavernosus) deep perineal pouch (deep transverse perineal, sphincter urethrae membranaceae) Middle Perineal body Fascia superficial fascia: panniculus adiposus (Fascia of Camper) · stratum membranosum (Dartos, Superficial perineal fascia, Fascia of Colles) deep fascia: Fascia of perineum · Gallaudet's fascia · Perineal membrane/"Inferior fascia of UGD" "Urogenital diaphragm" · "Superior fascia of UGD"