Controversies in female urethral anatomy and their significance for understanding urinary continence: observations and literature review.

To re-examine the anatomy of the female urethra and related structures, three female pelves serially sectioned in sagittal, coronal or transverse planes, and four sets of transverse histological slides of female urethras, were studied. The observations were assembled, rendered as illustrations, and correlated with published works to present an overall explanation of the gross and histological anatomy of the female pelvis and perineum as related to continence. The figures accompanying the text present the anatomy in a series of views in the three anatomical planes. The anatomical relationships of the paraurethral and paravaginal tissues are examined in relation to the conflicting nomenclature applied to these structures. The figures show the spatial relationships within the pelves and perineum that explain their effective function in urinary continence.