OBJECTIVE: Obturator neuropathy is a rare condition. Many neurosurgeons are unfamiliar with the obturator nerve anatomy. The purpose of this study was to define obturator nerve landmarks around the obturator foramen. METHODS: Fourteen cadavers were studied bilaterally to measure the distances from the nerve root to relevant anatomical landmarks near the obturator nerve, including the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS), the pubic tubercle, the inguinal ligament, the femoral artery, and the adductor longus. RESULTS: The obturator nerve exits the obturator foramen and travels infero-medially between the adductors longus and brevis. The median distances from the obturator nerve exit zone (ONEZ) to the ASIS and pubic tubercle were 114 mm and 30 mm, respectively. The median horizontal and vertical distances between the pubic tubercle and the ONEZ were 17 mm and 27 mm, respectively. The shortest median distance from the ONEZ to the inguinal ligament was 19 mm. The median inguinal ligament lengths from the ASIS and the median pubic tubercle to the shortest point were 103 mm and 24 mm, respectively. The median obturator nerve lengths between the ONEZ and the adductor longus and femoral artery were 41 mm and 28 mm, respectively. CONCLUSION: The obturator nerve exits the foramen 17 mm and 27 mm on the horizontal and sagittal planes, respectively, from the pubic tubercle below the pectineus muscle. The shallowest area is approximately one-fifth medially from the inguinal ligament. This study will help improve the accuracy of obturator nerve surgeries to better establish therapeutic plans and decrease complications.
Cadaver ; Femoral Artery ; Ligaments ; Obturator Nerve* ; Spine

A Schwannoma is a tumor originating from the neural sheath of Schwann cells, and is also known as a neurilemmoma, neurinoma or fibroblastoma. It can be either a benign or malignant tumor arising from the associated nerve sheath. Here, a case of a Schwannoma, originated from the obturator nerve of the pelvic cavity, in a patient with urinary frequency is reported, with a brief review of the literature.
Humans ; Neurilemmoma* ; Obturator Nerve* ; Pelvis ; Schwann Cells

OBJECTIVE: To get the mean values of obturator nerve conduction from 20 healthy adults. METHOD: Magnetic stimulation of the stimulated paralumbar area of the 3 to 4 root levels with needle electrodes placed in adductor brevis muscle and adductor longus muscle for both sides for recording. RESULTS: The mean latency was 5.44+/-0.91 msec in the right adductor brevis muscle, 5.70+/-0.62 msec in the left adductor brevis muscle, 5.49+/-0.73 msec in the right adductor longus muscle and 5.61+/-0.70 msec in the left adductor longus muscle. There was no significant difference between adductor longus and adductor brevis muscles for the mean latency. The mean amplitude was 11.26+/-4.10 mV in right adductor brevis muscle and 11.65+/-4.20 mV in left adductor brevis muscle, and 11.14+/-3.58 mV in right adductor longus muscle and 11.01+/-3.18 mV in left adductor longus muscle. There was no significant difference between adductor longus and adductor brevis muscles for the mean amplitude. CONCLUSION: Obturator nerve conduction study using magnetic stimulation can be a useful tool for the evaluation of obturator nerve injury.
Adult* ; Electrodes ; Humans ; Muscles ; Needles ; Obturator Nerve*

Adductor contraction from obturator nerve stimulation occurs frequently in certain situations during transurethral operations. Bladder perforation is a common result. A simple and safe technique involving use of a nerve stimulator for accurate obturator blockade and psoas compartment block are described. Only one of seven cases has obturator nerve stimulation after psoas compartment block. But there were no adductor contractions in more than seventeen transurethral resections during one year interval. There were no complications from the block itself or use of the nerve stimulator. Herein we introduce these safe methods for prevention of obturator nerve stimulation during transurethral resection.
Obturator Nerve* ; Reflex* ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence of neurologic injury in pelvic ring injuries and to assess the risk factors for neurologic injury related to pelvic fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-two patients with the pelvic ring injury were enrolled in the study from March 2010 to May 2013. When the neurologic injury was suspected clinically, the electro-diagnostic tests were performed. Combined injuries, fracture types, and longitudinal displacements were examined for correlations with the neurologic injury. RESULTS: There were 7 cases of AO/OTA type A, 37 cases of type B, and 18 cases of type C. Among them, 25 patients (40%) had combined spine fractures, and the average of longitudinal displacement was 7 mm (1-50 mm). Of the 62 patients, 13 (21%) had neurologic injury related with pelvic fractures; 5 with lumbosacral plexus injury, 5 with L5 or S1 nerve injury, 2 with obturator nerve injury, and 1 case of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury. There were no relationships between the neurologic injuries and fracture types (p=0.192), but the longitudinal displacements of posterior ring and combined spine fractures were related to the neurologic injury within pelvic ring injury (p=0.006, p=0.048). CONCLUSION: The incidence of neurologic injury in pelvis fracture was 21%. In this study, the longitudinal displacements of posterior ring and combined spine fractures were risk factors for neurological injury in pelvic ring injury.
Humans ; Incidence ; Lumbosacral Plexus ; Obturator Nerve ; Pelvis ; Risk Factors ; Spine

PURPOSE: We performed this study to share experiences in the management of obturator hernia, which is a very rare disease among elderly women, because rarity of this disease will not approve an expert institute or surgeon and because the aging society, Korea, can increase the incidence. METHODS: Patient characteristics, clinical manifestations and treatment results were retrospectively collected from the 12 obturator hernia patients since 2000 in the three hospitals of the authors. Twenty-one obturator hernia cases reported in the Korean literatures were reviewed. In addition, we analyzed clinical features and treatment results of the total 33 patients, collectively. RESULTS: Most of the patients were elderly women except one young, poorly nourished, male patient with pulmonary tuberculosis. Their mean age was 79.6 years. Sixty-four percent (21/33) of the patients had preoperative morbidity. Symptoms from the compression of the obturator nerve, which is an important clue to the diagnosis, were observed in 67% (22/33). Interestingly, spontaneous or suspicious-spontaneous reductions were reported in 7 (21%) patients. Abdominal CT scan was the major tool for diagnosis. Abdominal approach alone could successfully manage most cases, though 84% (27/32) needed anastomosis of the bowel. Operative mortality was 2 of the 32 cases but morbidity was 44% of the 32 patients and the mean hospital period after operation was 21 days. CONCLUSION: Management of patients with obturator hernJd surgical management and proper peri-operative care as well as appropriate managing the families is essential for improved results.
Aged ; Aging ; Female ; Hernia, Obturator ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Obturator Nerve ; Rare Diseases ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

The purpose of this study was to classify the spinal nerve compositions of the terminal branches of the lumbosacral plexus, providing data of their participating quantities. Twenty-five sides of the lumbosacral plexus extracted from Korean adult cadavers were used in this study. The iliohypogastric nerve was mostly arisen from L1 (88.2%, thickness L1 0.7 mm). The ilioinguinal nerve was arisen from only L1 (100%, thickness L1 0.6 mm). The genitofemoral nerve was commonly arisen from L1 and L2 (62.5%, thickness L1 0.6 mm, L2 0.7 mm). The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve was classified into 4 types, and the most common type was that L2 and L3 composed this nerve (56.0%, thickness L2 0.8 mm, L3 0.4 mm). The femoral nerve was classified into 2 types, and it was usually composed of L2, L3 and L4 (88.0%, thickness L2 1.4 mm, L3 2.7 mm, L4 2.3 mm). The obturator nerve was arisen from L2, L3 and L4 in all cases (100%, thickness L2 0.5 mm, L3 1.3 mm, L4 1.1 mm). The common fibular component of sciatic nerve was mostly arisen from L4, L5, S1 and S2 (84.0%, thickness L4 0.9 mm, L5 2.0 mm, S1 2.1 mm, S2 1.2 mm). The tibial component of sciatic nerve was mainly arisen from L4, L5, S1 and S2 (96.0%, thickness L4 0.9 mm, L5 1.9 mm, S1 2.2 mm, S2 1.9 mm). The superior gluteal nerve was commonly derived from L4, L5 and S1 (56.0%, thickness L4 0.7 mm, L5 1.1 mm, S1 0.9 mm). The inferior gluteal nerve was comprised of L5, S1 and S2 in several cases (54.2%, thickness L5 0.9 mm, S1 1.3 mm, S2 0.8 mm). The posterior femoral cutaneous nerve was composed of S1 and S2 in higher freqeuncy (40.0%, thickness S1 0.9 mm, S2 1.0 mm, S3 0.8 mm). The perforating cutaneous nerve was arisen from S2 and S3 in higher frequency (56.0%, thickness S1 0.7 mm, S2 0.9 mm, S3 1.1 mm). The pudendal nerve was derived from S3 in many cases (52.9%, thickness S3 1.5 mm). These anatomical results may be helpful to predict the spinal nerve root lesions of the lumbosacral plexus.
Adult ; Cadaver ; Femoral Nerve ; Humans ; Lumbosacral Plexus ; Obturator Nerve ; Pudendal Nerve ; Sciatic Nerve ; Spinal Nerve Roots ; Spinal Nerves

Percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation has been applied in patients with various forms of chronic pain, such as facet joint pain, cancer pain and trigeminal neuralgia. A major portion of the hip joint is innervated by the articular branches of the femoral and obturator nerves. Radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the articular branches of the obturator and femoral nerves can be a good alternative treatment for patients with hip joint pain, especially in those where surgery is not applicable. A patient suffering hip joint pain due to metastatic cancer underwent multiple radiofrequency lesioning of the femoral and obturator nerves at 80degrees C for 120 seconds, using a Racz-Finch Kit. The patient experienced about a 50% reduction in the pain, without any numbness or other side effects.
Chronic Pain ; Electrocoagulation ; Femoral Nerve* ; Hip Joint* ; Hip* ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Obturator Nerve ; Trigeminal Neuralgia ; Zygapophyseal Joint

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of obturator nerve blocks with ultrasound guided intraneural alcohol injection. METHOD: Nine quadriplegic patients suffering hip adductor spasticity were included in this study. The obturator nerve was identified at just below inguinal ligament area on anteromedial surface of upper leg at supine position. An 23 G needle was inserted into anterior branch of obturator nerve under real time ultrasonography. The 50% alcohol solution was injected 3~5 ml at a time within the epineurium of the anterior branch of obturator nerve until the expanding nerve was visualized. We examed modified Ashworth scale (MAS) of hip adductor and passive range of movement of hip abduction at supine position at study entry, 1, 4, and 12 weeks after ultrasound guided intraneural injection. RESULTS: There were statistically significant improvement was seen in MAS of hip adductors and hip abduction angle at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after ultrasound guided intraneural injection, compared with parameters measured at previous injection (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound guided intraneural alcohol injection into anterior branch of obturator nerve for treatment of hip adductor spasticity in patients with quadriplegia is an effective and safe procedure for relieving localized spasticity of the hip adductors.
Hip ; Humans ; Leg ; Ligaments ; Muscle Spasticity ; Needles ; Obturator Nerve ; Peripheral Nerves ; Quadriplegia ; Stress, Psychological ; Supine Position

Obturator nerve block is occasionally performed during transurethral resection of lateral bladder wall tumors to prevent the violent contraction of the adductor muscle of the thigh. Rare complications including intravascular injection of the local anesthetics and hematoma formation may occur during the obturator nerve block. We report a case of the unintentional breakage of the spinal needle during the obturator nerve block with successful removal of the broken spinal needle by an orthopedic surgeon.
Anesthetics, Local ; Hematoma ; Needles* ; Obturator Nerve* ; Orthopedics ; Thigh ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*