The connective tissue of the adult female pelvic region. A microscopical analysis.

Using special histological criteria, structures found during blunt dissection of the adult female pelvic region could be recognized in 0.7-0.8 cm thick transparent histologically stained serial sections of this region, as connective tissue ribbons. The connective tissue in the adult female pelvic region reveals an orderly constructed system of coherent connective tissue ribbons. These ribbons form a skeleton which borders several separate functional areas. Areas for the locomotive system of the leg areas containing the pelvic vessels and viscera are separated by an area of adipose tissue. This area is again bordered by a connective tissue ribbon. In the fossa ischiorectalis also connective tissue ribbons are found, bordering areas filled with adipose tissue. These connective tissue ribbons interconnect the musculus levator ani, the epidermis, the musculus obturatorius internus, and the musculus gluteus maximus. The architecture found in the sections has a bilateral symmetry and possesses interindividual uniformity. The three-dimensional architecture of this system of connective tissue ribbons will be described in a next article.