Obturator nerve
OBTURATOR NERVE
- Arises from the ventral divisions of the second, third, and fourth lumbar nerves in the lumbar plexus; the branch from the third is the largest, while that from the second is often very small.
- It is the branch of anterior division of lumbar plexus.
- Chief nerve of the medial (adductor) compartment if thigh.
COURSE:
- It emerges along the medial border of the psoas major.
- It enters the thigh by passing through obturator canal.
- It crosses dorsal surface of ischial spine.
- Through the obturator canal, and divides into an anterior and a posterior branch, which are separated at first by some of the fibers of the obturator externus, and lower down by the adductor brevis.
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DISTRIBUTION OF OBTURATOR NERVE |
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ANTERIOR DIVISION |
POSTERIOR DIVISION |
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1. Muscular branches: Obturator externus, adductor magnus, adductor brevis |
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2. Posterior branch to: Hip joint |
2. Articular branch: Knee joint |
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3. Vascular branch to: Femoral artery |
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INNERVATION:
- The obturator nerve is responsible for the sensory innervation of the skin of the medial aspect of the thigh.
- The nerve is also responsible for the motor innervation of the adductor muscles of the lower extremity (external obturator, adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis) and the pectineus (inconstant). It is, notably, not responsible for the innervation of the obturator internus, despite the similarity in name.
BRANCHES
- Anterior branch of obturator nerve
- Posterior branch of obturator nerve
- Cutaneous branch of the obturator nerve
Exam Question
- Adductor compartment is innervated by obturator nerve.
- Obturator nerve is the branch of anterior division of lumbar plexus .
- Tibial part of sciatic nerve ,Obturator nerve supply adductor magnus.
- The structure crossing dorsal surface of ischial spine is the Obturator nerve.
Don’t Forget to Solve all the previous Year Question asked on Obturator nerve
