The intergluteal cleft or just gluteal cleft, also known by a number of synonyms, including natal cleft, butt crack, and cluneal cleft, is the groove between the
buttocks
The buttocks (singular: buttock) are two rounded portions of the exterior anatomy of most mammals, located on the posterior of the pelvic region. In humans, the buttocks are located between the lower back and the perineum. They are compose ...
that runs from just below the
sacrum
The sacrum (plural: ''sacra'' or ''sacrums''), in human anatomy, is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine that forms by the fusing of the sacral vertebrae (S1S5) between ages 18 and 30.
The sacrum situates at the upper, back part ...
to the
perineum
The perineum in humans is the space between the anus and scrotum in the male, or between the anus and the vulva in the female. The perineum is the region of the body between the pubic symphysis (pubic arch) and the coccyx (tail bone), inclu ...
, so named because it forms the visible border between the external rounded protrusions of the
gluteus maximus muscle
The gluteal muscles, often called glutes are a group of three muscles which make up the gluteal region commonly known as the buttocks: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The three muscles originate from the ilium and sacru ...
s. Other names are the ''anal cleft'', ''crena analis'', ''crena interglutealis'', and ''rima ani''. Colloquially the intergluteal cleft is known as ''bum crack'' (UK) or ''butt crack'' (US). The intergluteal cleft is located superior to the
anus
The anus (Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, the residual semi-solid waste that remains after food digestion, which, d ...
.
There are several disorders that can affect the intergluteal cleft including
inverse psoriasis,
caudal regression syndrome
Caudal regression syndrome, or sacral agenesis (or hypoplasia of the sacrum), is a rare birth defect. It is a congenital disorder in which the fetal development of the lower spine—the caudal partition of the spine—is abnormal. It occurs at ...
,
and
pilonidal disease.
See also
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Buttock cleavage
Buttock cleavage is minor exposure of the buttocks and the intergluteal cleft between them, often because of low-rise pants. The ''crena'' is a formal term for the cleft between the buttocks.
History
When faced with indecency issues back in the ...
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Rectum
The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in humans and some other mammals, and the gut in others. The adult human rectum is about long, and begins at the rectosigmoid junction (the end of the sigmoid colon) at the l ...
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Anal canal
The anal canal is the part that connects the rectum to the anus, located below the level of the pelvic diaphragm. It is located within the anal triangle of the perineum, between the right and left ischioanal fossa. As the final functional segm ...
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Anatomical terms of location
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position ...
References
External links
Buttocks
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