The urinary bladder is a hollow, stretchy muscular bag that stores urine until it is convenient to empty it. When empty it sits in the pelvis behind the pubic bones, but as it fills it rises into the lower abdomen. An adult bladder usually signals fullness at about 300-400 ml.
| Location | In the anterior pelvis behind the pubic symphysis; in males in front of the rectum, in females in front of the uterus and vagina; rises into the abdomen when full |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Pelvic splanchnic nerves S2-S4 (parasympathetic, detrusor contraction); Hypogastric nerves and inferior hypogastric plexus T11-L2 (sympathetic, storage); Pudendal nerve (external urethral sphincter) |
| Blood Supply | Superior vesical artery; Inferior vesical artery (male); Vaginal artery (female); Obturator artery branches; Inferior gluteal artery branches |
| Venous drainage | |
| Lymphatic drainage |
|
Stores urine at low pressure and empties it under voluntary control by detrusor contraction and sphincter relaxation.
A full bladder rises above the pubis and can be palpated or percussed, and it can then be drained through the abdominal wall (suprapubic catheter) without entering the peritoneum. Trauma to a full bladder can rupture it, either into the abdomen or into the tissues around it. Smoking is the main risk factor for bladder cancer, which typically shows up as painless blood in the urine. Pelvic floor training helps urinary incontinence, a common issue after childbirth and prostate surgery.
Infection or inflammation of the bladder lining, causing burning, frequency, urgency and suprapubic discomfort; very common in women.
Sudden urgent need to pass urine, often with frequency and leakage, from involuntary detrusor contractions.
Usually a urothelial carcinoma of the lining, strongly linked to smoking and presenting with painless blood in the urine.
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