The deep branch of the perineal nerve (or muscular branches) is a

nerve A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons). Nerves have historically been considered the basic units of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the Electrochemistry, electrochemical nerv ...

of the

perineum The perineum (: perineums or perinea) in placentalia, placental mammals is the space between the anus and the genitals. The human perineum is between the anus and scrotum in the male or between the anus and vulva in the female. The perineum is ...

. It is a branch of the

perineal nerve The perineal nerve is a nerve of the pelvis. It arises from the pudendal nerve in the pudendal canal. It gives superficial branches to the skin, and a deep branch to muscles. It supplies the skin and muscles of the perineum. Its latency is tes ...

, from the

pudendal nerve The pudendal nerve is the main nerve of the perineum. It is a Mixed nerve, mixed (motor and sensory) nerve and also conveys Sympathetic nervous system, sympathetic Autonomic nervous system, autonomic fibers. It carries sensation from the exter ...

. It supplies the

superficial transverse perineal muscle The transverse perineal muscles (transversus perinei) are the superficial and the deep transverse perineal muscles. Superficial transverse perineal ...

bulbospongiosus muscle The bulbospongiosus muscles (in older texts bulbocavernosus and, for female muscle, constrictor cunni) are a subgroup of the superficial muscles of the perineum. They have a slightly different origin, insertion and function in males and females. ...

ischiocavernosus muscle The ischiocavernosus muscle (erectores penis ''or'' erector clitoridis in older texts) is a muscle just below the surface of the perineum, present in both men and women. Structure It arises by tendinous and fleshy fibers from the inner surface o ...

, the

bulb of penis The bulb of penis is the proximal/posterior bulged end of the (unpaired median) corpus spongiosum penis. Together with the two crura (one crus on each side of the bulb), it constitutes the root of the penis. It is covered by the bulbospongiosu ...

levator ani The levator ani is a broad, thin muscle group, situated on either side of the pelvis. It is formed from three muscle components: the pubococcygeus, the iliococcygeus, and the puborectalis. It is attached to the inner surface of each side of the ...

, and the

external anal sphincter The external anal sphincter (or sphincter ani externus) is an oval tube of skeletal muscle fibers. Distally, it is adherent to the skin surrounding the margin of the anus. It exhibits a resting state of tonical contraction and also contracts duri ...

Structure

The deep branch of the perineal nerve is a branch of the

, itself a branch of the

. It pierces the medial wall of the pudendal canal. The

dorsal nerve of the penis The dorsal nerve of the penis is the deepest of three divisions of the pudendal nerve; it accompanies the internal pudendal artery along the Ischium#Structure, ramus of the ischium; it then runs forward along the margin of the inferior ramus of t ...

for males and the

dorsal nerve of the clitoris The dorsal nerve of the clitoris is a nerve in females that branches off the pudendal nerve to innervate the clitoris. The nerve is important for female sexual pleasure, and it may play a role in clitoral erections. It travels from below the inf ...

for females is the terminal branch of the

Function

The deep branch of the perineal nerve supplies the muscles of the perineum. These include

superficial transverse perineal muscle The transverse perineal muscles (transversus perinei) are the superficial and the deep transverse perineal muscles. Superficial transverse perineal ...

, the

. It also supplies

, and the

References

External links

* - "The Female Perineum: The Perineal Nerve" * * https://web.archive.org/web/20071101125123/http://anatomy.med.umich.edu/reproductive_system/perineum_ans.html {{neuroanatomy-stub Nerves of the lower limb and lower torso