AIM: To study the anatomy(formation, course, relationships and branching pattern) of the obturator nerve in detail.METHODS: 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. Finally, the whole course of the obturator nerve was examined.RESULTS: 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 relationship to the obturator externus muscle and obturator artery. We found that fibers from the L3 and L4 spinal nerves are standard components of the obturator nerve. The main trunk of the obturator nerve divides into anterior and posterior branches, within the pelvis in 23.30%, within the obturator canal in 52.30% and extrapelvic in 24.35% of cases. The anterior branch of the obturator nerve supplies three muscular branches in 67.10%, two muscular branches in 28.94% and four muscular branches in 3.94% of the cases. The posterior branch of the obturator nerve supplies two muscular branches in 60.52%, three muscularbranches in 19.07%, one muscular branch in 14.47% and four muscular branches in 5.92% of cases.CONCLUSION: We present a gross anatomical study of the human obturator nerve based on a remarkably large number of cases as well as potential clinical applications of our findings.
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