Obturator canal
Encyclopedia
The obturator canal is a passageway formed in the obturator foramen
by part of the obturator membrane
. It connects the pelvis
to the thigh
.
The obturator artery
, obturator vein, and obturator nerve
all travel through the canal.
is a type of hernia
involving an intrusion into the obturator canal.
Obturator foramen
The obturator foramen is the hole created by the ischium and pubis bones of the pelvis through which nerves and muscles pass.- General structure :...
by part of the obturator membrane
Obturator membrane
The obturator membrane is a thin fibrous sheet, which almost completely closes the obturator foramen.Its fibers are arranged in interlacing bundles mainly transverse in direction; the uppermost bundle is attached to the obturator tubercles and completes the obturator canal for the passage of the...
. It connects the pelvis
Pelvis
In human anatomy, the pelvis is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the lower limbs .The pelvis includes several structures:...
to the thigh
Thigh
In humans the thigh is the area between the pelvis and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.The single bone in the thigh is called the femur...
.
The obturator artery
Obturator artery
The obturator artery is a branch of the internal iliac artery that passes antero-inferiorly on the lateral wall of the pelvis, to the upper part of the obturator foramen, and, escaping from the pelvic cavity through the obturator canal, it divides into both an anterior and a posterior...
, obturator vein, and obturator nerve
Obturator nerve
The obturator nerve in human anatomy arises from the ventral divisions of the second, third, and fourth lumbar nerves; the branch from the third is the largest, while that from the second is often very small.-Path:...
all travel through the canal.
Pathology
A obturator herniaObturator hernia
An obturator hernia is a rare type of abdominal wall hernia in which abdominal content protrudes through the obturator foramen. Because of differences in anatomy, it is much more common in women than in men, especially multiparous and older women who have recently lost a lot of weight. The...
is a type of hernia
Hernia
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
involving an intrusion into the obturator canal.