Obturator from the latin obturare to obstruct. Obturator; to close up, the word was invented by Ambroise Pare.
The obturator foramen is the opening formed by the margins of the pubis and ischium and is then closed by the obturator membrane. There is just a small passage, the obturator canal, for the obturator artery, vein and nerve to pass through.
The obturator nerve innervates the muscles of the inner thigh. It is divided into anterior and posterior branches; the anterior branch is innervating adductor longus and brevis, and in some cases, pectineus muscle. The obturator nerve then pierces the fascia lata of the thigh, this cutaneous branch of the obturator nerve and is responsible for the sensory innervation of the skin. Finally, the posterior branch innervates the obturator externus and adductor magnus.
These muscles adduct or CLOSE the legs!
The obturator internus is innervated by the obturator internus nerve, as is the gemellus superior.
