Obturator externus muscle
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created a b had no recorded disclosures.
View a b's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had the following disclosures:
- Philips Australia, Paid speaker at Philips Spectral CT events (ongoing)
These were assessed during peer review and were determined to not be relevant to the changes that were made.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosuresThe obturator externus is a flat, triangular muscle, which covers the outer surface of the anterior wall of the pelvis.
Summary
Origin: external surface of obturator membrane and adjacent bone (inferior pubic ramus and the ramus of the ischium)
Insertion: trochanteric fossa of femur
Blood supply: obturator and medial circumflex femoral arteries
Innervation: Posterior division of obturator nerve (L3, L4)4
Action: thigh external rotation, stabilization of hip joint
Gross Anatomy
The obturator externus is a triangular muscle arising from the antero-lateral two thirds of the external surface of the obturator membrane. It passes laterally and posteriorly, beneath the neck of femur, narrowing into a tendon which inserts into the trochanteric fossa of the femur4.
The posterior aspect of the hip joint capsule extends along the neck of femur only as far as where the obturator externus tendon is in contact with the periosteum. While the anterior aspect of the joint capsule includes the whole neck of femur3.
The anterior division of the obturator nerve reaches the thigh by coursing in front of the obturator externus muscle belly. The posterior branch of the obturator nerve pierces the upper border of the muscle belly, giving off a branch to supply the muscle3,4.
Posterior to the muscle lie the obturator vessels, sandwiched between the muscle belly and obturator membrane3.
References
- 1. Gray's Anatomy for Students: With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access, 3e. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:0702051314. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Last's Anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:0702033944. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy. (2020) ISBN: 9780702077050 - Google Books
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