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What are the three physiological constrictions of the ureter?
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Dr. Edward Cheung, MD
403 W Adams BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90007 Surgery
Expert Medical Information
The ureter is a muscular tube located outside the peritoneum, connecting the renal pelvis to the bladder, and it drains urine produced by the kidneys into the bladder. The ureter is approximately 8-12 inches long, with an average diameter of 0.2-0.4 inches, and the narrowest part has a diameter of only 0.08-0.12 inches. The ureter can be divided into the abdominal ureter, pelvic ureter, and intramural ureter. There are three physiological narrowings along the ureter: the first narrowing is at the junction of the renal pelvis and ureter, the second narrowing is at the pelvic brim where the ureter crosses the iliac vessels, and the third narrowing is at the intramural part of the ureter within the bladder wall. The narrowings have a diameter of only 0.08-0.12 inches. As kidney stones move through the ureter, they often get stuck or lodged at these three physiological narrowings, causing renal colic.
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