21. Atrophy of the levator ani muscle and disease of the pudendal nerve may also contribute to a perineal hernia. 22. In human anatomy, the "'levator claviculae "'is a very rare atavistic character. 23. Bernardes 2012 studied the cross sectional area of levator ani in 58 women with stage II pelvic organ prolapse. 24. The depressor mandibulae arose from the levator operculi in bony fish, and is equivalent to the epihyoidean in sharks. 25. They reported similar increases in the cross sectional area of levator ani produced with both pelvic floor exercises and hypopressive exercises. 26. Proctalgia fugax and levator ani syndrome have not been found to be of psychosomatic origin, although stressful events may trigger attacks. 27. The "'levator ani "'is a broad, thin muscle, situated on either side of the pelvis. 28. The tube is opened during swallowing by contraction of the tensor veli palatini and levator veli palatini, muscles of the soft palate. 29. The aetiology is thought to be damage to the posterior commissure levator inhibitory fibres which originate in the M-group of neurons. 30. Variants of levator ani syndrome include proctalgia fugax ( fleeting pain in the rectum ) and coccydynia ( pain in the coccygeal region ).
