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Human obturator nerve: Gross anatomy
Sophia Anagnostopoulou, Ioannis Mavridis, Department of Anatomy, University of Athens School of Medicine, 11527 Athens, Greece
Author contributions: Anagnostopoulou S designed and performed the research; Mavridis I analyzed the data and wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Ioannis Mavridis, MD, PHD, Department of Anatomy, University of Athens School of Medicine, Mikras Assias Str. 75, Goudi, 11527 Athens, Greece. pap-van@otenet.gr
Telephone: +30-697-8327199 Fax: +30-210-2833600
Received: May 19, 2012
Revised: May 8, 2013
Accepted: June 8, 2013
Published online: September 28, 2013
Processing time: 241 Days and 20.9 Hours
Revised: May 8, 2013
Accepted: June 8, 2013
Published online: September 28, 2013
Processing time: 241 Days and 20.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Our purpose was to study the anatomy of the obturator nerve in detail. The study was based on 500 adult human formalin-embalmed cadavers, 342 males and 158 females. We studied the anatomical formation, course and relationships of the obturator nerve within the lesser pelvis before the obturator canal. We found numerous anatomical variations about the formation of the obturator nerve, its division into two main branches, its articular branches, its intrapelvic branches for the periosteum of the pubic bone, and also the number of its muscular divisions and its anatomical relationships to the obturator externus muscle and obturator artery.