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Male urethra

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Anatomical divisions:

  • posterior urethra
    • prostatic urethra:
      • 3-4 cm in length
      • verumontanum is a prominence on the posterior wall; ejaculatory ducts open on either side
    • membranous urethra:
    • 2 cm in length
      • from apex of the prostate to the bulb of the penis
      • site of sphincteric activity
  • anterior urethra:
    • includes bulbar and penile urethra
    • surrounded by corpus spongiosum
    • involved in emptying of urine at end of voiding and emission of semen during ejaculation
    • corpora cavernosa lie dorsally

Blood supply:

  • branches from internal pudendal artery; run through the corpus cavernosum in the 5 'o' clock and 7 'o' clock positions
  • branches of dorsal arteries to the penis; run proximally from glans penis into corpus cavernosum

Determinants of sphincteric activity:

  • inner layer of smooth muscle
  • outer layer of striated muscle, innervated by S2 and S3

Histology:

  • transitional cell epithelium proximally
  • squamous cell epithelium near external meatus at fossa navicularis

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