Obturator nerve entrapment in the adductors

In the thigh, the anterior branch of the obturator nerve runs between pectineus and adductor longus, in front of adductor brevis. Entrapment by the fascia of this plane has been described, mainly in athletes with groin pain. This page shows it in 3D.

Anatomy of the passage

Anterior branch · adductor planes — Plate derived from Z-Anatomy / BodyParts3D · CC BY-SA 4.0

More distally, entrapments by the fascia of the short adductors are described. The anterior branch is related to the plane between adductor longus and adductor brevis. Medial thigh pain has other possible causes, so this image provides anatomical orientation, not diagnostic confirmation.

Nerve: Obturator nerve: obturator canal and adductor planes
Frequency: Proposed with limited evidence: case series, clinical commentaries or anatomical descriptions.
Type of evidence: Clinical commentary

References

Martin R, Martin HD, Kivlan BR. NERVE ENTRAPMENT IN THE HIP REGION: CURRENT CONCEPTS REVIEW. Int J Sports Phys Ther 2017. PubMed 29234567 · DOI

Ultrasound landmarks

In the proximal medial thigh, the anterior branch of the obturator nerve runs between adductor longus and adductor brevis; the posterior branch, between adductor brevis and adductor magnus.