In
human anatomy
The human body is the structure of a human being. It is composed of many different types of cells that together create tissues and subsequently organ systems. They ensure homeostasis and the viability of the human body.
It comprises a he ...
, the accessory obturator nerve is an accessory
nerve
A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons) in the peripheral nervous system.
A nerve transmits electrical impulses. It is the basic unit of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the e ...
in the
lumbar
In tetrapod anatomy, lumbar is an adjective that means ''of or pertaining to the abdominal segment of the torso, between the diaphragm and the sacrum.''
The lumbar region is sometimes referred to as the lower spine, or as an area of the back i ...
region present in about 29% of cases.
It is of small size, and arises from the ventral divisions of the third and fourth
lumbar nerves
The lumbar nerves are the five pairs of spinal nerves emerging from the lumbar vertebrae. They are divided into posterior and anterior divisions.
Structure
The lumbar nerves are five spinal nerves which arise from either side of the spinal cord b ...
. Recent evidence support that this nerve arises from Dorsal divisions.
It descends along the medial border of the
psoas major
The psoas major ( or ; from grc, ψόᾱ, psóā, muscles of the loins) is a long fusiform muscle located in the lateral lumbar region between the vertebral column and the brim of the lesser pelvis. It joins the iliacus muscle to form the iliop ...
, crosses the
superior ramus of the
pubis, and passes under the
pectineus, where it divides into numerous branches.
One of these supplies the pectineus, penetrating its deep surface, another is distributed to the
hip-joint
In vertebrate anatomy, hip (or "coxa"Latin ''coxa'' was used by Celsus in the sense "hip", but by Pliny the Elder in the sense "hip bone" (Diab, p 77) in medical terminology) refers to either an anatomical region or a joint.
The hip region is ...
; while a third communicates with the
anterior branch of the
obturator nerve
The obturator nerve in human anatomy arises from the ventral divisions of the second, third, and fourth lumbar nerves in the lumbar plexus; the branch from the third is the largest, while that from the second is often very small.
Structure
The ob ...
.
Occasionally the accessory obturator nerve is very small and is lost in the capsule of the hip-joint.
When it is absent, the hip-joint receives two branches from the obturator nerve.
References
External links
Diagram at nysora.com
{{Authority control
Nerves of the lower limb and lower torso