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6.1: The Pelvic Girdle

  • Page ID
    11457
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    Sacrum

    A continuation of the vertebral column, the sacrum is composed of five fused vertebrae. Where the sacrum meets with the fifith lumbar vertebra it is widest, decreasing in size inferiorly. The sacrum also makes up the posterior aspect of the pelvic girdle.

    Base

    Apex

    Promontory

    Ventral surface

    Transverse ridges

    Anterior sacral foramina

    Dorsal surface

    Medial sacral crest

    Posterior sacral foramina

    Lateral surface - Wings or ala

    Coccyx

    Four very small vertebrae found at the apex of the sacrum which are fused in adults, but are often absent in archaeological specimens. The corunae are the only landmarks seen on the coccyx, which are tubercles projecting superiorly from the body of the coccyx.

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    Sacrum. Top anterior and Bottom posterior.

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    Sacrum. Lateral view.

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    Superior coccygeal body. Left view anterior and Right view posterior.

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    Inferior coccygeal elements. Left view anterior, Middle view posterior, Right view superior articulation.

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    Superior and Inferior coccygeal elements articulated.


    This page titled 6.1: The Pelvic Girdle is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Roberta Hall, Kenneth Beals, Holm Neumann, Georg Neumann, Gwyn Madden (ScholarWorks: Grand Valley State University) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.