The obturator nerve
Obturator nerve · nervus obturatorius
A nerve that passes through a hole in the pelvis to power the inner thigh muscles.
What it does
The obturator nerve runs down inside the pelvis and passes through the obturator foramen, the large hole in each hip bone, into the inner thigh. It supplies the adductor muscles that pull the legs together and carries feeling from a patch of the inner thigh.
Surprising fact
It shares nerve fibres with the hip joint and the knee, which is why hip problems are sometimes felt only as pain in the knee.
Why it matters
A child or older person complaining only of knee pain may have a hip problem, so doctors examine the hip as well.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.