Bulbospongiosus muscle
| Bulbospongiosus muscle | |
|---|---|
Muscles of male perineum (bulbocavernosus visible in red) | |
Muscles of the female perineum (bulbocavernosus visible in red) | |
| Details | |
| Origin | Median raphe |
| Artery | Perineal artery |
| Nerve | Pudendal nerve |
| Actions | In males, empties the urethra; in females, clenches the vagina |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | musculus bulbospongiosus |
| TA98 | A09.5.02.005 |
| TA2 | 2418 |
| FMA | 19729 |
| Anatomical terms of muscle | |
The bulbospongiosus muscles (in older texts accelatores urinae, 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 male and female mammals. In human males, these muscles cover the bulb of the penis and the scrotum.
In both sexes, they are innervated by the deep or muscular branch of the perineal nerve, which is a branch of the pudendal nerve.