Aim - to analyze and summarize the literature data of levator ani muscle, using the terminological approach. Materials and methods. We used literature in anatomy, biology with levator ani muscle description included Medline/Pubmed resources guide. Results. We found 18 terms determined levator ani muscle components in literature. The terms were used to describe diseases, perineal muscles, fascia and pelvic ligaments associated with urinary and fecal incontinence, traumatic injuries during labor in women, operative access to pelvic organs in men with surgical interventions for radical prostatectomy and rectum extirpation. We illustrated schematically levator ani muscle in men and women, supplementing the study by dissecting the perineal region in 3 men and 2 women. The terms defining the components of levator ani muscle in women are following: m. puboperinealis, m. pubovaginalis, m. puboanalis - united in m. pubovisceralis; m. pubococcygeus, m. iliococcygeus. In men, levatorani muscle is represented by the following components: m. puboprostaticus (m. levator prostatae), m. puboperinealis, m. puboanalis, m. puborectalis, m. pubococcygeus, m. iliococcygeus.

Aim - to study the reparative regeneration processes after experimental gradual traction of cervix uteri in rats. Materials and methods. The object of the study is the cervix at the sphincter. We performed gradual traction of cervix uteri in 25 rats under aether anesthesia and gathered the samples.We analyzed the course of reparative regeneration and performed sampling after 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 21 and 30 days. We carried out complex morphological examination with optical and transmission electron microscopy, and immunohistochemistry. The immunohistochemical examination of cervical tissues was performed using a set of monoclonal antibodies to а-smooth muscle actin. Results. It was determined that cervical traction formed three distinguishable zones: the zone of damage, the periwound zone and the zone of morphological integrity. The zone of damage corresponds to the actual sphincter and the periwound zone - to pre- and postsphincteral compartments. Several myocytes undergo necrosis in the damage zone. There is no necrosis in the periwound area, but we found some abnormality of intercellular contacts due to the change of the morphology of intercellular substance. The experimental traction causes the development of local septic inflammation, affecting all the layers. The synthesis of fibrous connective tissue components starts in the proliferative phase. It leads to restructuring of histoarchitecture and disruption of the functional syncytium structure. Conclusion. Post-traumatic regeneration is performed by changing the phenotype of survived myocytes from mantle to mantle-synthetic myocytes with synthesis of the fiber component of the intercellular substance. Also, there is an incomplete mitosis in several myocytes, which leads to the formation of binuclear or polyploid cells.