Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis: Bladder Detrusor Muscle

Excerpt

The walls of the bladder are mainly formed by detrusor muscle, which allows the bladder to contract to excrete urine or relax to hold urine. At the inferior end of the bladder, the detrusor muscle is continuous with the internal urethral sphincter. The combination of detrusor contraction and urethral sphincter relaxation leads to urination. The detrusor muscle is under control from the autonomic system and is composed of smooth muscle. Detrusor muscle pathology can lead to urinary retention, incontinence, or a combination of both. Abnormalities of the detrusor muscle, if left untreated, can lead to deterioration of the upper urinary tracts.