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Open Access 01-07-2008 | Letter to the Editor

Is the Puborectalis Muscle Part of the Levator Ani Muscle?

Author: Christian Wallner

Published in: Diseases of the Colon & Rectum | Issue 7/2008

Excerpt

To the Editor—With great interest I have read the article by Guo and Li1 on the anatomy of the levator ani, and especially the puborectalis muscle by use of MRI and CT. The authors state that the levator ani has a transverse portion and a vertical portion and that the puborectalis muscle is a u-shaped muscle outside the vertical portion. Based on those findings, the authors conclude that the puborectalis is not a part of the levator ani muscle. The concept that the puborectalis muscle is anatomically a part of the external anal sphincter muscle, rather than the levator ani muscle has been previously proposed from a cadaver study.2 …

Guo M, Li D. Pelvic floor images: anatomy of the levator ani muscle. Dis Colon Rectum 2007;50:1647–55.PubMedCrossRef

Shafik A. New concept of the anatomy of the anal sphincter mechanism and the physiology of defecation. II. Anatomy of the levator ani muscle with special reference to puborectalis. Invest Urol 1975;13:175–82.PubMed

Levi AC, Borghi F, Garavoglia M. Development of the anal-canal muscles. Dis Colon Rectum 1991;34:262–6.PubMedCrossRef

Fritsch H, Frohlich B. Development of the levator ani muscle in human fetuses. Early Hum Dev 1994;37:15–25.PubMedCrossRef

Wallner C, van Wissen J, Maas CP, Dabhoiwala NF, DeRuiter MC, Lamers WH. The contribution of the levator ani nerve and the pudendal nerve to the innervation of the levator ani muscles; a study in human fetuses. Eur Urol (in press) DOI 10.1016/j.eururo.2007.11.015.

Wallner C, Maas CP, Dabhoiwala NF, Lamers WH, DeRuiter MC. The innervation of the pelvic floor muscles: a reappraisal for the levator ani nerve. Obstet Gynecol 2006;108:529–34.PubMed

Wallner C, Maas CP, Dabhoiwala NF, Lamers WH, DeRuiter MC. Evidence for the innervation of the puborectalis muscle by the levator ani nerve. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2006;18:1121–2.PubMedCrossRef

Li D, Guo M. Morphology of the levator ani muscle. Dis Colon Rectum 2007;50:1831–9.PubMedCrossRef

Title: Is the Puborectalis Muscle Part of the Levator Ani Muscle?
Author: Christian Wallner
Publication date: 01-07-2008
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: Diseases of the Colon & Rectum / Issue 7/2008
Print ISSN: 0012-3706
Electronic ISSN: 1530-0358
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10350-008-9249-9

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