The Pelvic and Sacral Splanchnic Nerves – Identification by Dissection, Trajectory

Abstract

The modern principles in pelvic surgery imply the preservation of the nervous structures that are involved in the physiological functioning of the pelvic and genital organs. The main pelvic nervous element is represented by the inferior hypogastric plexus. This plexus receives sympathetic afferent fibres from the hypogastric nerve, parasympathetic afferent fibres from the pelvic splanchnic nerves and also sympathetic afferent fibres coming from the sympathetic sacral chain via the sacral splanchnic nerves. We aimed to demonstrate the anatomy of these structures through dissection and we exposed the origins, pathway and manner of distribution of the splanchnic nerves of the pelvis. We managed to clarify the main anatomical relations of these nerves, among which we highlighted the relation to the branches of the internal iliac artery. The parasympathetic fibres reach the pelvis by running through the anterior rami of the spinal nerves, which are the origin of the sacral plexus. We managed to exhibit the way in which the parasympathetic fibres emerge from the sacral nerves and form the pelvic splanchnic nerves. Pelvic surgery nowadays is focused on nerve-sparing, which essentially means the conservation of the integrity of splanchnic nerves, hypogastric nerves and inferior hypogastric plexuses in order to maintain the normal functioning of the anatomical sphincters and genital organs. In this respect, it is crucial for the surgeon who performs pelvic procedures to be more than well-acquainted to the anatomy of the pelvic splanchnic nerves, which are considered to be the erectile nerves, and to that of the sacral splanchnic nerves.