8.3 The pelvic girdle and pelvis

The pelvis is formed by the combination of the right and left hip bones, the sacrum, and the coccyx. The auricular surfaces of each hip bone articulate with the auricular surface of the sacrum to form the sacroiliac joint. This joint is supported on either side by the strong anterior and posterior sacroiliac ligaments. The right and left hip bones converge anteriorly, where the pubic bodies articulate with each other to form the pubic symphysis joint. The sacrum is also attached to the hip bone by the sacrospinous ligament, which spans the sacrum to the ischial spine, and the sacrotuberous ligament, which runs from the sacrum to the ischial tuberosity. The coccyx is attached to the inferior end of the sacrum.