Pelvis

The pelvis is a complex bone located at the bottom of the trunk.

Location of the pelvis

The pelvis is a bone forming the junction between:

• the vertebral column;
• and the femur, where the hip articulates.

Structure of the pelvis

In fact, the pelvis is composed of several bones which once assembled produce a complex funnel shape:

• the sacrum and coccyx, which fix the vertebral column;
• the pubic bones of which there are two, forming arcs of a circle meeting at the pubis;
• the ischia, the pair of bones which lie most posteriorly in the pelvis;
• and the iliac bones which form the two large superior wings of the pelvis.

Function of the pelvis

The pelvis is a bone connecting the trunk and the lower limbs. The ischia femoral joint allows the leg to move. The lesser pelvis, or pelvic cavity, is the place where a newborn baby passes through duringchildbirth. It is therefore wider in women than men.