Nerve:  Obturator


Compartment:  Medial of the thigh


Skeletal muscles:  Pectineus, gracilis, obturator externus, and aductors longus, brevis and magnus


Cutaneous distribution:  Skin along the medial aspect of the thigh


Neuromuscular deficit:  The impaired upper limb is laterally rotated and severely abducted during the swing phase of the gait cycle. Waddling is employed during “swing” to shift the weight of the upper trunk over the supporting (contralateral) side to guide the abducted limb into adduction at heel strike. Weakness/paralysis is routinely accompanied by cutaneous nerve deficit along the internal surface of the thigh.

 

Obturator

Created by the Neurobiology and Anatomy Department:
F. Reilly, Ph.D., B. Palmer, P. Klinkhachorn, Ph.D., H. Ressetar, Ph.D.http://anatomy.hsc.wvu.edu/