Nerve: Obturator
Compartment: Medial of the thigh
Skeletal muscles: Pectineus, gracilis, obturator externus, and aductors longus, brevis and magnus
Cutaneous distribution: Skin along the medial aspect of the thigh
Neuromuscular deficit: The impaired upper limb is laterally rotated and severely abducted during the swing phase of the gait cycle. Waddling is employed during “swing” to shift the weight of the upper trunk over the supporting (contralateral) side to guide the abducted limb into adduction at heel strike. Weakness/paralysis is routinely accompanied by cutaneous nerve deficit along the internal surface of the thigh.
Obturator
