Latin nervus hypogastricus TA A14.3.03.047 | Dorlands/Elsevier n_05/12565869 FMA 77596 | |
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The hypogastric nerve is a term for the transition between the superior hypogastric plexus and the inferior hypogastric plexus. The hypogastric nerve enters the sympathetic chain at T10-L2.
Structure
The hypogastric nerve begins where the superior hypogastric plexus splits into a right and left plexus. Each of these divisions is considered a hypogastric nerve. The hypogastric nerve continues inferiorly on its corresponding side of the body, where it descends into the pelvis to form the inferior hypogastric plexus. Contents of the right and left hypogastric nerves include pre- and post-ganglionic sympathetic fibers from vertebral levels of T10-L2.
The hypogastric nerve is responsible for emission (prior to ejaculation, which is instead the pudendal nerve); emission is sympathetic nervous system-mediated.