ABSTRACT
The word pelvis, as in bony pelvis, means a basin, but it can also be used as a term to mean the lower part of the abdominal cavity. When in the anatomical position, the bony pelvis is structured so that body weight is transmitted from the vertebral column to the lower limbs through the bony pelvis. The hip bone is formed from three fused bones: the ilium, the ischium and the pubis. Anteriorly the two hip bones join at the pubic symphysis. The rectum is the continuation of the sigmoid colon, beginning at the level of the third segment of the sacrum and lying in the concavity of the lower sacrum and coccyx. The anal canal continues from the lower end of the rectum as the last 4 cm of the alimentary tract, ending at the anus just posterior to the perineal body.
