Inferior anal nerves

Nerve: Inferior anal nerves
The superficial branches of the internal pudendal artery. (Inferior anal nerves visible but not labeled.)
Pudendal nerve, its course through the lesser sciatic foramen, and branches, including inferior anal at bottom right.
Latin	nervi anales inferiores, nervi rectales inferiores, nervus haemorrhoidalis inferior
Gray's	subject #213 968
Innervates	Rectum

The Inferior rectal nerves (inferior anal nerves, inferior hemorrhoidal nerve) usually branch from the pudendal nerve but occasionally arises directly from the sacral plexus; they cross the ischiorectal fossa along with the inferior hemorrhoidal vessels, toward the anal canal and the lower end of the rectum, and is distributed to the Sphincter ani externus and to the integument around the anus.

Branches of this nerve communicate with the perineal branch of the posterior femoral cutaneous and with the posterior scrotal nerves at the forepart of the perineum.

Supplies

Skin and external anal sphincter but doesn't supply the actual rectum

See also

• Inferior rectal artery

Additional images

• 

  The perineum. The integument and superficial layer of superficial fascia reflected.

• 

  Sacral plexus of the right side. (Hemorrhoidal branch of pudic labeled at bottom right.)

External links

• Details at Oklahoma State
• SUNY Labs 41:08-0102 - "The Female Perineum: Contents of the Pudendal Canal"
• SUNY Figs 41:04-10 - "Inferior view of female perineum, branches of the internal pudendal artery."
• perineum at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (analtriangle3)
• Human anatomy at Dartmouth figures/chapter_32/32-2.HTM
• Human anatomy at Dartmouth figures/chapter_32/32-3.HTM

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.