Organ
Ureterovesical junction
An oblique ureteral passage through the bladder wall
High-yield
The antireflux mechanism depends on the supported intramural passage and coordinated bladder–ureter relationships, not on a separate hinged valve.
Overview
Each ureter enters the posterolateral bladder wall and runs obliquely before opening at an upper trigonal corner. Wall support and tunnel geometry help resist reflux as bladder pressure rises. The distal ureter is a frequent site of stone lodging.
Reference facts
- Location
- At the posterolateral bladder base, where the ureter crosses the detrusor and opens near a trigonal upper corner.
- Parts
- Juxtavesical ureter, intramural tunnel and ureteric orifice form the terminal transition.
- Blood supply
- Regional superior/inferior vesical branches, with vaginal and other pelvic contributions in females.
- Innervation
- Pelvic autonomic and visceral sensory pathways accompany the distal ureter and bladder base.
- Relations
- Ureteric openings are connected by the interureteric ridge; reproductive structures lie nearby outside the bladder wall.
- Function
- Allows forward urine entry while the supported oblique tunnel reduces backward flow during filling and voiding.
Clinical correlation
An inadequate intramural tunnel or abnormal bladder pressures can permit vesicoureteric reflux. Reflux may coexist with urinary infection and renal injury, but scarring is not inevitable. A distal stone can cause urgency or suprapubic discomfort as well as referred flank pain.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the ureterovesical junction located?
At the posterolateral bladder base, where the ureter crosses the detrusor and opens near a trigonal upper corner.
What does the ureterovesical junction do?
Allows forward urine entry while the supported oblique tunnel reduces backward flow during filling and voiding.
What are the parts of the ureterovesical junction?
The parts of the ureterovesical junction are the juxtavesical ureter, intramural tunnel and ureteric orifice form the terminal transition.
What is the blood supply of the ureterovesical junction?
The ureterovesical junction is supplied by the regional superior/inferior vesical branches, with vaginal and other pelvic contributions in females.