Vaginal Process of the Sphenoid Bone

Introduction

The vaginal process (lat. processus vaginalis) is a paired cartilaginous or spongy process, which is one of the processes of the vomer and located deep in the pleural cavity; in men it is located directly behind the vas deferens, and in women it is on one of the deep branches of the mandibular nerve and its upper end faces up to the pubis.

Total information

The process begins from the upper edge of the lateral segment of the sphenoid process and is directed downward and medially, gradually forming a bend around the first cervical vertebra and directed upward to the anterior side of the scrotum. Males have additionally long vertical processes from the bodies of the transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae, which connect to the processes of the sphenoid bones. In women, the vaginal processes between the lips run almost parallel to the bladder and end at the pubic bone. On the outside, the process is covered with several layers of a membrane consisting of connective fibers covered with the synovial membrane. The inner surface of the process forms a depression. An adult has five to six vaginal processes in men, and up to seven in women. The length of the process is about 8 cm, women have a length of the process from the beginning from one to two and a half cm, depending on the growth of the pubic part of the bones, in men the length of the process is slightly less than in women.

Externally, the process resembles a pocket consisting of two sheets of connective tissue. The inner layer is called hyaline and the outer mucous. The hyaline process is a depression surrounded by connective tissue. Between its wall and the outer hyaline membrane is the synovial membrane containing a viscous fluid. The processus vaginalis may contain fibers of the circulating lymphatic system. On its wide lower part there is a depression, which in women lies directly under the walls of the vagina, and in men it is located approximately between the epi- and hypogastric regions. The width of the outlet of the coronoid process is wide and extends beyond the edge of the uterine opening.

Important exit points for the processus vaginalis

Sphenoid bone Solar plexus area (from the external protrusion) Estuary of the thigh vein Pubic canal of the male side Vestibule of the vagina of the female side

conclusions

The vaginal process has on average five to six pieces, men have more, approximately five to six, women have only one to two and a half. All inhabitants of the Earth have it, except representatives of the families of woolly-winged jerboas and moles. This is absolutely normal; abnormalities in the anatomy of the vaginal processes are extremely rare, without any symptoms. Development and placement depend on the growth and development of the pubic bones. The bony structures form a projection on the outside of the pelvis called the symphysis. The sheets of the membrane of the vaginal process border mature starting from the first month of pregnancy and reach their greatest thickness by the fifth or sixth months, and are in no way connected with each other.

Vaginal processes of the sphenoid bones

The processus vaginalis is a rudimentary organ that is located in the walls of the abdominal cavity. It is formed by the remnants of the Müllerian ducts, which begin to develop in utero in boys and become the external male genitalia - the testicles. However, normally the testicles do not descend into the scrotum in utero, but, together with the vaginal processes, move into the abdominal cavity - extraperitoneally. During the first years of life, they remain in place and continue to grow, but then they begin to move downwards again - from the abdominal cavity to the scrotum, finally forming the genitals. This is that moment