Anatomy of Uterine Tubes

Uterine Tubes

• Uterine tubes are located in the free border of the broad ligament of the uterus, which is a quadrangular fold of peritoneum attached to the side of the uterus.
• The tube has two orifices: the abdominal orifice, which opens into the peritoneal cavity to pick up the ovum liberated from the ovary, and the uterine orifice, which is located in the superolateral angle of the uterus.
• The uterine tube has four parts, from lateral to medial: infundibulum, ampulla, isthmus, and uterine part.
• The infundibulum is the funnel-shaped most lateral part of the tube, with 20-30 processes called fimbriae that pick up the ovum.
• The ampulla is the widest part of the tube and is the site of fertilization.
• The isthmus is a narrow part of the tube.
• The uterine part is the narrowest part of the tube, located in the wall of the uterus.
• The uterine tube transmits the ovum from the ovary and sperm from the uterus to its ampulla, where fertilization occurs.
• It also transmits the zygote to the uterus for implantation.

Uterus

• The uterus is a hollow, thick-walled, pear-shaped muscular organ located in the pelvis between the urinary bladder and rectum.
• The uterus measures 3 x 2 x 1 inches in length, breadth, and thickness, respectively.
• The uterus receives the uterine tubes at its superolateral angles.
• The uterus opens into the vagina at the external os.
• The normal position of the uterus is anteverted and anteflexed.
• The angle of anteversion is approximately 90°, and the angle of anteflexion is approximately 170°.
• The uterus has three parts: fundus, body, and cervix.
• The fundus is the part of the uterus above the level of entrance of the uterine tubes.
• The body has two surfaces: anterior (vesical) related to the urinary bladder and posterior (intestinal) related to the coils of the small intestine.
• The cervix communicates with the body at the internal os and opens into the vagina at the external os.