Nerve to obturator internus
The nerve to obturator internus (also known as the obturator internus nerve) is a mixed (sensory and motor)[1] nerve providing motor innervation to the obturator internus muscle and gemellus superior muscle,[2][1] and sensory innervation to the hip joint.[1] It is a branch of the sacral plexus. It is one of the group of deep gluteal nerves.[2]
| Nerve to obturator internus | |
|---|---|
 Plan of sacral plexus and pudendal plexus (nerve to the obturator internus and gemellus superior labeled at lower left) | |
 Nerves of the right leg seen from behind (nerve to the obturator internus labeled at upper left) | |
| Details | |
| From | Sacral plexus |
| Innervates | Obturator internus and gemellus superior muscles |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | Nervus musculi obturatorii interni |
| TA98 | A14.2.07.028 |
| TA2 | 6550 |
| FMA | 78711 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
It exits the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen to innervate the gemellus superior muscle, then re-enters the pelvis to innervate the obturator internus muscle.[2]
Structure
Origin
The nerve to obturator internus is a branch of the lumbosacral plexus.[3] It arises from the anterior divisions of (the anterior rami of[2]) L5-S2.[3][4][2]
Course and relations
It emerges inferior to the piriformis muscle and exits the pelvis through the greater sciatic foramen. It travels round the base of the ischial spine[2] lateral to the internal pudendal artery and nerve, and - while doing so - issues a branch to the gemellus superior, which enters the upper part of the posterior surface of the muscle. It then re-enters the pelvis through the lesser sciatic foramen to innervate the obturator internus muscle,[2] piercing the pelvic surface of this muscle.
References
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 957 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
- Mirjalili, S. Ali (2015). "Chapter 46 - Anatomy of the Sacral Plexus L4-S4". Nerves and Nerve Injuries. Vol. 1: History, Embryology, Anatomy, Imaging, and Diagnostics. Academic Press. p. 626. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-410390-0.00048-2. ISBN 978-0-12-410390-0.
- Moore, Keith L.; Dalley, Arthur F.; Agur, Anne M. R. (2018). Clinically Oriented Anatomy (8th ed.). Wolters Kluwer. pp. 733–734. ISBN 978-1-4963-4721-3.
- Warner, Tyler; Tubbs, R. Shane (2021-01-01), Tubbs, R. Shane; Iwanaga, Joe; Loukas, Marios; Dumont, Aaron S. (eds.), "Chapter 7 - The Nerve to Obturator Internus", Surgical Anatomy of the Sacral Plexus and Its Branches, Elsevier, pp. 31–34, ISBN 978-0-323-77602-8, retrieved 2021-02-06
- Chiva, Luis M.; Magrina, Javier (2018-01-01). "Chapter 2 - Abdominal and Pelvic Anatomy". Abdominal and Pelvic Anatomy. Elsevier. pp. 3–49. doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-42878-1.00002-x. ISBN 978-0-323-42878-1.