| Perineal branches of posterior femoral cutaneous nerve | |
|---|---|
 Nerves of the right lower extremity. Posterior view. (Perineal branch labeled at upper left.) | |
 The superficial branches of the internal pudendal artery. (Nerve visible at bottom right, but not labeled.) | |
| Details | |
| From | posterior femoral cutaneous nerve |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | rami perineales nervi cutanei femoris posterioris |
| TA | A14.2.07.035 |
| FMA | 21847 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The perineal branches of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve are distributed to the skin at the upper and medial side of the thigh.
In human anatomy, the thigh is the area between the hip (pelvis) and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.
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One long perineal branch, inferior pudendal (long scrotal nerve), curves forward below and in front of the ischial tuberosity, pierces the fascia lata, and runs forward beneath the superficial fascia of the perineum to the skin of the scrotum in the male, and of the labium majus in the female.
The ischial tuberosity, also known informally as the sit bones, or as a pair the sitting bones is a large swelling posteriorly on the superior ramus of the ischium. It marks the lateral boundary of the pelvic outlet.
The fascia lata is the deep fascia of the thigh. It encloses the thigh muscles and forms the outer limit of the fascial compartments of thigh, which are internally separated by intermuscular septa. The fascia lata is thickened at its lateral side where it forms the iliotibial tract, a structure that runs to the tibia and serves as a site of muscle attachment.
The scrotum is an anatomical male reproductive structure that consists of a suspended dual-chambered sack of skin and smooth muscle that is present in most terrestrial male mammals and located under the penis. One testis is typically lower than the other to avoid compression in the event of impact. The perineal raphe is a small, vertical, slightly raised ridge of scrotal skin under which is found the scrotal septum. It appears as a thin longitudinal line that runs front to back over the entire scrotum. The scrotum contains the external spermatic fascia, testes, epididymis, and ductus deferens. It is a distention of the perineum and carries some abdominal tissues into its cavity including the testicular artery, testicular vein, and pampiniform plexus. In humans and some other mammals, the scrotum becomes covered with pubic hair at puberty. The scrotum will usually tighten during penile erection and when exposed to cold temperature.
It communicates with the inferior anal nerves and the posterior scrotal nerves.
The Inferior rectal nerves usually branch from the pudendal nerve but occasionally arises directly from the sacral plexus; they cross the ischiorectal fossa along with the inferior rectal artery and veins, toward the anal canal and the lower end of the rectum, and is distributed to the Sphincter ani externus and to the integument (skin) around the anus.
The posterior scrotal branches or posterior labial branches are two in number, medial and lateral. They are branches of the perineal nerve, which is itself is a branch of the pudendal nerve. The pudendal nerve arises from spinal roots S2 through S4, travels through the pudendal canal on the fascia of the obturator internus muscle, and gives off the perineal nerve in the perineum. The major branch of the perineal nerve is the posterior scrotal/posterior labial.
