Pathology
Difficult childbirth or bicycling can compress or stretch the pudendal nerve, causing temporary loss of function, but permanent injury is rare. Entrapment of the nerve is very rare but can happen. A pelvic tumor (most notably a large sacrococcygeal teratoma), or surgery to remove the tumor, can damage this nerve permanently. A pudendal nerve block, also known as a saddle nerve block is a common obstetric procedure to anesthetize the perineum during labor.
The pudendal nerve terminal motor latency test is a diagnostic procedure used to quantify the length of time it takes for the anal sphincter to respond to the electrical stimulus of the pudendal nerve using a St. Mark's electrode. Prolonged motor latency can be an indicator of the extent of idiopathic and childbirth related neurological damage to the pudendal nerve, and can provide some indication regarding potential recovery.
Read more about this topic: Pudendal Nerve
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—Bronislaw Geremek (b. 1932)