What is the uterine cavity?

Cervical polyps, cervical erosion, cervical cysts, etc. are some serious gynecological diseases that endanger women's health. Therefore, considering their own health, women should go to the hospital regularly for relevant uterine cavity examinations. The uterine cavity is an important part of the female uterus. Once pathological reactions occur, it will have a key impact on the overall female uterus. Today's article will explain the specific location of the uterine cavity for most women.

Uterine Cavity Introduction

The uterine cavity is the space of the uterus, also called the womb. The uterus is a single muscular organ, mainly composed of smooth muscle, with thick walls, small cavity, and high expansibility. Its shape, size, position and structure vary with age and are affected by the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. The uterus of an adult weighs about 50g, is about 7 to 8cm long, 4 to 5cm wide, 2 to 3cm thick, and has a uterine cavity capacity of about 5ml!

Position and fixation of the uterus

The uterus is located in the center of the pelvic cavity, adjacent to the bladder in front and the rectum behind. Its long axis is generally consistent with the pelvic axis. The normal uterus is in an anterior tilted and anteflexed position in the pelvic cavity, but it is often slightly tilted to the side, with tilting to the right side being more common. The lower end of the uterus is connected to the vagina and protrudes into the vaginal cavity. The so-called anteversion is the angle formed between the long axis of the uterus and the long axis of the vagina; this angle is formed because the inclination of the uterine body is slightly greater than the inclination of the cervix. A mild anteversion or anteflexion of the uterus is a normal position; extreme anteversion, anteflexion or retroversion or retroflexion are abnormal positions of the uterus. The position of the uterus is usually slightly affected by the surrounding organs, especially the fullness of the bladder and rectum. When the bladder is full and the rectum is empty, the fundus of the uterus moves posteriorly and superiorly, and the inclination of the uterine body becomes less. When the bladder is fully filled, the fundus of the uterus may extend toward the sacrum, and even uterine anteflexion may disappear. On the contrary, when the rectum is full and the bladder is empty, the uterus moves slightly forward and downward, and the uterus is mostly in an anteflexed position, with the uterus located above the bladder. When the bladder and rectum are full, the uterus moves slightly upward and straightens. The position of the gravid uterus varies with the duration of pregnancy. The fixation of the uterus is not only by the pelvic floor tissue, namely the pelvic diaphragm and urogenital diaphragm and their fascia, but also by the ligaments connecting the uterus to the bladder, and the rectum to the walls of the pelvic cavity. Some of these ligaments belong to the peritoneal folds, while others are composed of smooth muscle and fibrous tissue. There are four main pairs of ligaments around the uterus, which play an important role in maintaining a slight anteversion and anteflexion position of the uterus. The cardinal ligament of the uterus can fix the cervix, and together with the broad ligament of the uterus, can prevent the uterus from tilting and flexing; the round ligament of the uterus and the vesicouterine folds can prevent the uterus from tilting and flexing; the sacro-uterine ligament and the recto-uterine muscle can tilt the uterus anterolaterally and restrain the forward movement of the uterus.

The shape of the uterus

The uterus of an adult female who has not conceived is inverted pear-shaped, slightly flattened front and back, weighs 40-50g, is 7-8cm long, has a maximum transverse diameter of 4cm, and is 2-3cra thick. The uterus can be divided into two sides: front and back, left and right edges, and four parts. The front is opposite to the bladder, called the vesical surface, and there is the vesicouterine pouch between the bladder; the back is adjacent to the rectum, called the rectal surface, and there is the rectouterine pouch between the rectum. Because the small intestine (ileum) loop and the sigmoid colon extend into this pouch, the back of the uterus is also called the intestinal surface; the two sides of the uterus are convex, called the left margin of the uterus (Left margino{uterus) and the right margin of the uterus (Right margino{uterus), facing the side wall of the pelvic cavity, and are attached by the broad ligament of the uterus.