Question:

Which of the following pelvic measurements is most commonly used clinically?

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Which conjugate can the examining fingers reach and measure during a vaginal exam?
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
  • Diagonal conjugate
  • Anteroposterior diameter of the inlet
  • Transverse diameter of the outlet
  • Oblique diameter of the pelvis
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Clinical pelvimetry assesses the size of the bony pelvis to judge its adequacy for vaginal delivery. The single measurement that can be taken directly by the examining fingers during a vaginal examination is the diagonal conjugate.

Step 2: The diagonal conjugate is the distance from the lower border of the symphysis pubis to the sacral promontory and measures about $12$ cm. It is the only conjugate that can be measured clinically, and the true (obstetric) conjugate is derived from it by subtracting $1.5$ to $2$ cm.

Step 3: Why the others are not the answer. The anteroposterior diameter of the inlet (true conjugate) cannot be measured directly and is only estimated from the diagonal conjugate, so (b) is wrong. The transverse diameter of the outlet (bi-ischial) is assessed but is not the most commonly used routine clinical measurement, so (c) is wrong. The oblique diameter is not used in routine clinical pelvimetry, so (d) is wrong.

Step 4: Hence the most commonly used clinical pelvic measurement is the diagonal conjugate.
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