The crura (singular: crus) are the two hidden “legs” of the clitoris, strips of spongy tissue that most people never see and many textbooks leave out.1Wiley Online Library (Clin Anat). Anatomy of the clitoris and the female sexual response The crura’s job is less about feeling touch and more about swelling with blood during arousal, much as the same structures do in the penis.2PubMed Central. Development of the Human Penis and Clitoris
Where the Clitoral Crura Sit in Your Body
The clitoris has several parts, and most of them are internal. On the outside are the glans and the hood that covers it. Inside are the body, the root, two crura, and two vestibular bulbs (the bulbs, from here on). Added together, the whole structure measures about 9 to 11 cm, roughly the length of a phone’s short side.3Wiley Online Library (Clin Anat). Anatomy of the clitoris and the female sexual response “Crus” is Latin for leg, and the word fits: the crura (plural) are two narrow arms that split from the root.
To picture the shape, start with the glans, the visible tip at the top of the vulva. From there the body angles back and down under the skin. At the root it divides into the two crura, which hug the pelvic bones on each side, like a wishbone with the bulbs tucked between its legs.
Toward the front, the two crura come together near the pubic area, where the pelvic bones meet, and join the clitoral body there. From that point they separate and head backward. Each crus attaches to the bony arch of the pelvis you sit near.4Kenhub. Clitoris So the legs run backward and outward along each side, beneath the labia, like an upside-down V. The bulbs sit inside that V, alongside the vaginal opening.
People often mix up the crura and the bulbs, since both are internal and both swell. The crura lie along the bone on the outer edges and connect to the clitoral body. The bulbs lie closer to the vaginal opening and sit beside the vestibule.
The crura, the clitoral body, and the bulbs all contain erectile tissue, a spongy tissue that fills with blood.5PubMed. Anatomy, histology, and nerve density of clitoris and associated structures: clinical applications to vulvar surgery The glans and the inner labia do not.6PubMed. Anatomy, histology, and nerve density of clitoris and associated structures: clinical applications to vulvar surgery That means the parts that swell most are the hidden ones, not the tip you can see.
You can’t see or feel a crus the way you can the tip. Each one lies under the skin and the fatty tissue of the outer labia, so nothing shows on the surface. Pressing on the labia gives only a vague sense of firmness along the bone, which isn’t a reliable way to find a particular structure.
What the Crura Do During Arousal
Blood flow drives the swelling. Blood reaches the clitoris mainly through the internal pudendal artery, deep in the pelvis.7PubMed Central. Clitoris Anatomy Applied to Aesthetic, Reconstructive and Transgender Surgery: A Narrative Review A branch runs through the center of the erectile chambers and is essential for erection.8PubMed Central. Clitoris Anatomy Applied to Aesthetic, Reconstructive and Transgender Surgery: A Narrative Review When you’re aroused, this inflow fills the legs of the clitoris and the body, and they swell and firm up. Blood drains back out mainly through a vein along the top of the clitoris.9PubMed Central. Clitoris Anatomy Applied to Aesthetic, Reconstructive and Transgender Surgery: A Narrative Review
The order of events goes like this. Arousal signals arrive first and relax the blood vessels, so more blood can flow into the clitoral tissue. The spongy chambers then fill, and the tissue swells and firms. As the swelling grows, the veins that carry blood out get compressed, so blood leaves more slowly than it enters. When arousal ends, the signals ease, blood leaves, and the tissue softens.
A muscle helps hold the swelling in place. Each crus is covered by a thin muscle. When it contracts, it squeezes the crura and pushes blood forward into the body and glans.10Kenhub. Ischiocavernosus muscle It also presses on the veins draining the clitoris, slowing blood from leaving.11Kenhub. Ischiocavernosus muscle This trapped blood helps the clitoris stay swollen during arousal and sex.12Kenhub. Ischiocavernosus muscle
Nerves switch the whole process on. A nerve enters each crus and carries the automatic signals that trigger swelling, not touch sensation.13PubMed. Neural supply to the clitoris: immunohistochemical study with three-dimensional reconstruction of cavernous nerve, spongious nerve, and dorsal clitoris nerve in human fetus So the crura respond to arousal largely without conscious control. The swelling spreads under the labia, not just at the tip, and can feel like fullness or warmth around the vulva.
The swelling matters for pleasure. It brings the glans forward and makes it more prominent. Engorged tissue around the vaginal opening can also heighten sensation from pressure. This may be part of why arousal before touch often makes stimulation feel better. Stress, tiredness, and distraction can dampen the automatic signals even when someone wants to be aroused, so less swelling on a given day is not by itself a sign that something is wrong.
Can You Feel or Stimulate the Crura
Touch sensation comes from somewhere else. A nerve runs along the top of the crus and body toward the glans.14PubMed. Neural supply to the clitoris: immunohistochemical study with three-dimensional reconstruction of cavernous nerve, spongious nerve, and dorsal clitoris nerve in human fetus This nerve is mostly made of touch-sensing fibers,15PubMed Central. Innervation pattern and fiber counts of the human dorsal nerve of clitoris so the glans, where it ends, is the most sensitive spot, while the crura themselves mainly swell. Some find direct touch on the glans too intense and prefer touch through the hood or beside it.
The internal parts still link to deeper pleasure. The clitoris, urethra, and front vaginal wall sit close together and move together during sex.16PubMed. Beyond the G-spot: clitourethrovaginal complex anatomy in female orgasm Stimulating that area during penetration can trigger orgasm, though how this works varies between people.17PubMed. Beyond the G-spot: clitourethrovaginal complex anatomy in female orgasm Some of the pleasure people attribute to a “G-spot” may involve the internal clitoris.
Some people reach orgasm mainly from penetration, many mainly from outside touch, and many from a mix. None of these patterns is more normal than the others.
People reach the internal parts in a few ways. Pressing or rubbing alongside the labia applies pressure over the crura and bulbs, and broad, firm pressure tends to work better here than light pinpoint touch. Penetration can press the bulbs and nearby tissue from inside. Responses vary widely, and none of these is required for normal function. Swelling of the crura supports the sensitivity of the glans, and deep pressure can be felt through surrounding nerves even if the crura sense little.
How the Crura Compare to the Penis
The clitoris and penis both develop from the same small bud in the embryo.18PubMed Central. Development of the Human Penis and Clitoris Early in development that bud can become either organ, and hormone signals later steer it toward the clitoral or penile form. The glans, body, and crura of each organ correspond to one another.
The main difference is that only in the penis does the urethra form inside the organ.19PubMed Central. Development of the Human Penis and Clitoris There, urine and semen leave through it. In the clitoris the urethra is separate, so the clitoris has no role in urination or reproduction, and its main known function is sexual sensation and response.
The penis also has two crura anchored to the pelvic bones, and the same muscle helps maintain erection in both.20Kenhub. Ischiocavernosus muscle Each body has bulbs too. The penile bulb sits at the base and corresponds to the vestibular bulbs, and in both bodies the bulbs belong to the same erectile system as the crura.
Clitoral swelling is a true erection, using the same blood-trapping method as the penis. That helps explain why medicines and conditions affecting blood flow can affect both.
What Can Go Wrong With the Crura and Nearby Nerves
Problems are rare. The first is swelling that won’t go down. Clitoral priapism is a rare condition where swelling lasts too long and becomes painful.21PubMed Central. Clitoral priapism with no known risk factors It has been linked to certain medicines and to conditions that affect blood flow.22PubMed Central. Clitoral priapism with no known risk factors Ordinary arousal swelling fades after arousal ends and isn’t painful. Swelling that is painful and lasts hours without arousal is a reason to seek urgent care, because prolonged swelling can signal a blood-flow problem needing treatment. Mention any new medicines when you go.
The second is cycling pressure. Long hours on a bike saddle can compress the genital nerves and blood vessels.23Journal of Sexual Medicine. Les Lanternes Rouges: The Race for Information About Cycling-Related Female Sexual Dysfunction A too-narrow saddle and low handlebars tilt the pelvis forward and increase the pressure.24Quality in Sport. Urogynecological, neurological, and psychosexual consequences of cycling in women: a narrative review of compressive pathomechanisms and preventive strategies This can cause numbness, loss of clitoral sensation, and genital pain.25Quality in Sport. Urogynecological, neurological, and psychosexual consequences of cycling in women: a narrative review of compressive pathomechanisms and preventive strategies Leaning forward shifts weight from the sit bones onto the soft tissue where the genital nerves and vessels run. Most cyclists get only mild, temporary numbness, and it usually eases with a change in setup.
A wider saddle, higher handlebars, and breaks can reduce pressure. Standing on the pedals briefly now and then relieves it. Tilt the saddle level or slightly nose-down, not nose-up, so it doesn’t press forward.
Cyclists should notice tingling or numbness in the vulva during or after rides, reduced feeling during sex that wasn’t there before, and chafing or lasting swelling of the labia. Symptoms that persist after rest deserve a doctor’s visit.
The third source is surgery near the clitoris. Damage to the clitoris or its nerves during vulvar surgery can reduce arousal and response.26PubMed. Surgical anatomy of the clitoris and surrounding vulvar structures The clitoral nerve branches, though, are at low risk during common bladder-support sling procedures.27PubMed. Anatomic relationships of the pudendal nerve branches Nerve damage risk depends on how close the operation is to the clitoral nerves. Slings for bladder leakage generally stay away from them, whereas vulvar surgery may work near them, so the question to raise is about the specific operation being planned. Before any vulvar surgery, ask how the surgeon will protect the clitoris and its nerves and what changes in sensation to expect.
Why the Crura Are Missing From Many Diagrams
Typical textbook pictures show the clitoris in one flat view and include errors.28PubMed. Anatomy of the clitoris The crura run backward and outward, so a front-on picture hides them entirely, and many people come to think the clitoris is just the small visible tip.
Yet a detailed, accurate description existed as early as the 1800s.29PubMed. Anatomy of the clitoris It didn’t reach general teaching, so later books repeated the older, simpler picture. Textbooks tend to copy earlier textbooks, so errors persist. Research in 2005 helped correct these misconceptions,30The Embryo Project Encyclopedia. “Anatomy of the Clitoris” (2005) by Helen E. O’Connell, Kalavampara V. Sanjeevan, and John M. Hutson but updating the images in widely used materials is slow, and the full clitoris is still missing from many anatomy materials, even for health workers.31The Journal of Sexual Medicine. Clitoral anatomy: development of accurate 3d models with an emphasis on education Educators are now making accurate 3D models.32The Journal of Sexual Medicine. Clitoral anatomy: development of accurate 3d models with an emphasis on education
If your doctor’s diagram shows only the tip, the crura are still there. 3D-printed models and modern illustrations are good ways to learn the real shape, and knowing the internal anatomy can help you explain your own sensations to a partner or clinician.