Skip to main content
. 2024 Apr 11;12(2):39. doi: 10.21037/atm-23-1781

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Anatomy of uterine prolapse, cystocele, rectal intussusception, rectocele. The cardinal ligament (not shown) is attached to the anterior part of the cervix; the anterior vaginal wall is attached to the cardinal ligament and the cervix. The uterus is suspended by “USL” which if stretched or damaged, elongate to cause uterine prolapse. The rectal intussusception is a consequence of the lateral USL attachment to the rectum pulling down the anterior rectal wall so it invaginates into the rectal cavity. An overstretched or torn perineal body posteriorly allows ingress of the rectum into the vagina as a rectocele. Reused from Petros P. The female pelvic floor function, dysfunction and management according to the Integral Theory. 3rd ed. Heidelberg: Springer Berlin; 2010. With permission from Peter Petros; retains ownership of the copyright. USL, uterosacral ligament; SSL, sacrospinous ligament.