Pubic arch

Bone: Pubic arch
Female pelvis. (Pubic arch labeled at bottom center.)
Male pelvis. (Pubic arch labeled at bottom center.)
Latin	a. pubicus
Gray's	subject #58 240

The eminences of the lower circumference of the true pelvis are separated by three notches: one in front, the pubic arch, formed by the convergence of the inferior rami of the ischium and pubis on either side. The angle at which they converge is known as the subpubic angle.

External links

As seen in the picture to the right, there is a distinctive difference between the pubic arch of a male and a female. This difference is found in the subpubic angle. The area in which the pubic arch is located is the pelvis, the area that is most different between male and female anatomy. The subpubic angle of a man is around 90 degrees while that of a woman is around 120 degrees. The reason for this difference has to do with childbirth. A woman’s pubic arch is wider in order to allow for the passage of the child during birth. The pelvic inlet of a female is also wider because the child’s head must pass through it. The pubic arch is also referred to as the ischiopubic arch.

• Anatomy and Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function by Kenneth S. Saladin
• http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/bone.htm
• Diagrams of gender differences
• Diagram at kctcs.edu

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.

This musculoskeletal system article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · d · e