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Female External Urethral Sphincter
Muscular System

Female External Urethral Sphincter

Sphincter externus urethrae feminine

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Quick Facts

Origin: Rami of both left and right ischial bones; perineal body.

Insertion: Fibers encircle urethra.

Action: Constricts urethra.

Innervation: Perineal nerve (S2-S4).

Arterial Supply: Perineal artery.

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Origin

The female external urethral sphincter muscle originates from the:

- rami of both the left and right ischial bones;

- anterior aspect of the perineal body.

Insertion

The fibers of the female external urethral sphincter muscle encircle the urethra.

Key Features & Anatomical Relations

The female external urethral sphincter muscle is one of the muscles of the deep perineal space, which itself is found in the urogenital triangle. It is a large, circular muscle that partly surrounds both the urethra and vagina in females.

It is located:

- anterior to the perineal body;

- superior to the perineal membrane;

- inferior to the urinary bladder.

For descriptive purposes, the female external urethral sphincter muscle is divided into three parts:

- a superiorly located sphincter urethrae muscle;

- an anteriorly located compressor urethrae muscle;

- a posteriorly located sphincter urethrovaginalis muscle (Jung, Ahn and Huh, 2012).

Actions

The female external urethral sphincter muscle constricts the urethra, keeping it closed and contributing to urinary continence. Its fibers relax during micturition (Standring, 2016).

List of Clinical Correlates

- Urinary incontinence

References

Jung, J., Ahn, H. K. and Huh, Y. (2012) 'Clinical and functional anatomy of the urethral sphincter', Int Neurourol J, 16(3), pp. 102-6.

Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41st edn.: Elsevier Limited.

Actions

The female external urethral sphincter muscle constricts the urethra, keeping it closed and contributing to urinary continence. Its fibers relax during micturition (Standring, 2016).

Complete Anatomy

The world's most advanced 3D anatomy platform

Complete Anatomy