Quick Facts
Origin: Obturator nerve.
Course: Descends on the posterior surface of adductor brevis and anterior to adductor magnus muscle.
Branches: Muscular and articular branches.
Supply: Motor innervation to obturator externus, adductor brevis, and part of the adductor magnus muscle; Sensory innervation of the knee joint.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The posterior branch originates inside the obturator canal as one of two main divisions of the obturator nerve. The other branch is the anterior branch of the obturator nerve.
Course
The obturator nerve continues to descend across the lateral wall of the pelvic cavity until it reaches the obturator canal, where it divides into anterior and posterior branches. Through the obturator canal, the posterior branch of the obturator nerve gains access to the medial compartment of the thigh. It then descends posterior to adductor brevis and on the anterior surface of adductor magnus muscle.
Branches
The posterior branch of the obturator nerve gives off muscular branches to the obturator externus muscle (L3-L4), adductor brevis muscle (L2-L3), and the part of the adductor magnus muscle (L2-L4). In addition, articular branches are given to the knee joint.
Supplied Structures
The posterior branch of the obturator nerve provides motor innervation to the obturator externus muscle (L3-L4), adductor brevis muscle (L2-L3), and part of the adductor magnus muscle that attaches to the linea aspera (L2-L4). It also provides sensory innervation to the knee joint.
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Obturator Nerve
The obturator nerve is a major lower limb nerve derived from the anterior division of L2-L4 nerve roots and enters the pelvis along the obturator foramen and exits into the thigh anterosuperiorly along a 2- to 3-cm oblique tunnel, the obturator canal, and splits into anterior and posterior divisions.
