An obturator hernia is a rare type of

hernia A hernia is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ, such as the bowel, through the wall of the cavity in which it normally resides. Various types of hernias can occur, most commonly involving the abdomen, and specifically the groin. Groin her ...

of the pelvic floor in which pelvic or abdominal contents protrudes through the

obturator foramen The obturator foramen (Latin foramen obturatum) is the large opening created by the ischium and pubis bones of the pelvis through which nerves and blood vessels pass. Structure It is bounded by a thin, uneven margin, to which a strong membran ...

. Because of differences in anatomy, it is much more common in women, especially

multiparous In biology and human medicine, gravidity and parity are the number of times a woman is or has been pregnant (gravidity) and carried the pregnancies to a viable gestational age (parity). These terms are usually coupled, sometimes with additional te ...

and older women who have recently lost much weight. The diagnosis is often made intraoperatively after presenting with

bowel obstruction Bowel obstruction, also known as intestinal obstruction, is a mechanical or functional obstruction of the intestines which prevents the normal movement of the products of digestion. Either the small bowel or large bowel may be affected. Signs ...

. The

Howship–Romberg sign The Howship–Romberg sign is inner thigh pain on internal rotation of the hip. It can be caused by an obturator hernia. It is named for John Howship and Moritz Heinrich Romberg Moritz Heinrich Romberg (11 November 1795 – 16 June 1873) was a ...

is suggestive of an obturator hernia, exacerbated by thigh extension, medial rotation and abduction. It is characterized by lancinating pain in the medial thigh/obturator distribution, extending to the knee; caused by hernia compression 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 o ...

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Hernias {{disease-stub