The pubic bone or pubis is the most anterior portion of the hip bone. Like the ischium, the pubis also forms the obturator foramen, contributing to its anterior and superior boundaries. The left and right pubic bones join at the anterior midline, forming the pubic symphysis.

Each pubic bone has the following three parts:

Body - the central and most anterior portion that participates in forming the pubic symphysis;
Superior pubic ramus - the upper bony curve that extends from the body and participates in forming the anterior part of the acetabulum; it unites with the ilium (therefore, this ramus is also known as the iliopubic ramus);
Inferior pubic ramus - the lower bony part that extends downward from the body and merges with the ramus of the ischium; this is also known as the ischipubic ramus; compared to the superior pubic ramus, the inferior pubic ramus is very short, thin and flat.

Note: There is some confusion regarding the anatomical location of the body and the superior pubic ramus. These terms used to be synonyms. Nowadays, some authors state that the body of the pubis is not the central part of the bone, but it participates in forming the acetabulum and that the superior and inferior pubic rami meet. However, according to the international standard on human anatomical terminology, the body is the central part containing the pubic tubercle, symphyseal surface, and the pubic crest. We review the parts of the pubis based on international anatomical terminology.

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Pubic bone (pubis)