Pelvis Anatomy

Pelvis Anatomy

Anatomy Lesson 8

In this video lesson, you will discover the pelvis anatomy.

Pelvis Anatomy for Figurative Artists

The Latin term pelvis means basin.

The major bone of the hip is called the ilium. Its top ridge is referred to as a crest- the iliac crest.

In the front there is the pubis, or the pubic bone.

At the bottom there are two ischium bones. They resemble two bagels. These are the bones on which a person sits.

The ilium, pubis, and ischium are fused together and form a rigid structure.

At the back of this is the sacrum. Its lower part is called the coccyx. This is what we call the tail bone.

The sacrum consists of several fused together vertebrae in the lower part of the spinal column.

The horizontal line that goes through the pubis, or the pubic bone, is actually the anatomical center of the human body. This line divides the human body in half from the top of the cranium to the bottom of the feet. This axis also indicates the location of the hip joint.

The hip joint is the ball and socket joint which allows the femur to rotate the leg and move it in various directions.

The actual height of the pelvis is between eighteen and twenty centimeters (about seven and a half inches).

The average width of the pelvis is between twenty-five and twenty-eight centimeters (approximately ten and a half inches).

In the front view, the lower points of the sitting bones are just below the back bumps of the iliac crest.

There are some differences between a male and female pelvis.

For example, in a male pelvis, the angle between the ischium bones is about 75 degrees. However, in a female pelvis, this angle is wider – between 90 and 100 degrees.

The distance between the ribcage and the pelvis is quite small.

You can actually locate it on your own body by feeling the lower edge of the ribcage and the upper edge of the pelvis…

[ The full lesson is avaibale to Anatomy Master Class members ]