anococcygeal

Anococcygeal is an anatomical term used to describe structures or relationships in the region between the anus and the coccyx. It designates the posterior part of the perineum and the lower sacral area, and can be applied to tissues, ligaments, fascia, nerves, and skin located there.

Anatomy and structure: The anococcygeal region includes skin and subcutaneous tissue over the coccyx, the coccygeal bone and surrounding ligaments, and the posterior aspect of the anorectal canal. A notable structure is the anococcygeal ligament, a fibrous band that runs between the coccyx and the posterior boundary of the anal canal, reinforcing the rear aspect of the canal. The region is innervated by sacral nerves, with sensory fibers traveling via branches of the pudendal nerve and related pathways to the overlying skin.

Clinical relevance: The term is used in pelvic and colorectal contexts to describe locations relevant to exploration, surgery, or injury in the posterior anorectal area. Conditions involving this region can include coccygodynia, a painful coccygeal area often assessed in tabled or physical examinations, and other distal anal or pilonidal disorders that lie near the coccyx.

See also: coccyx, anorectal region, sacrococcygeal ligaments, pudendal nerve, coccygodynia.