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Obturator externusMusculus obturatorius externus

Flat, triangular muscle covering the outside of the front of the pelvis whose tendon wraps under the neck of the femur to laterally rotate the hip.

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LatinMusculus obturatorius externus
Origin
  • Bone around the medial side of the obturator foramen (inferior pubic ramus and ramus of the ischium)
  • Medial two-thirds of the outer surface of the obturator membrane
Insertion
  • Trochanteric fossa of the femur (its tendon runs across the back of the neck of the femur)
Action
  • Laterally rotates the hip
  • Steadies the hip joint as a postural muscle, and helps hold the head of the femur in the socket during flexion and medial rotation
  • Helps abduct the flexed hip
NerveObturator nerve (posterior branch) (L3–L4)
GroupDeep hip rotators

Palpation

  1. This is the deepest of the hip rotators and cannot be felt directly in a massage.
  2. Client prone with a bolster under the ankles; find the ischial tuberosity and the greater trochanter.
  3. The tendon lies deep under quadratus femoris in the space between these points. Slow, broad pressure through gluteus maximus and quadratus femoris reaches this area.
  4. Ask the client to press the foot inwards with the knee bent to 90° (hip lateral rotation) to feel the deep tissue here tighten.

Landmarks: Ischial tuberosity · Greater trochanter

The obturator externus sits on the outside of the obturator membrane at the front of the pelvis, deep among the adductor muscles of the inner thigh. Its tendon then wraps under and behind the neck of the femur to reach the trochanteric fossa, a small pit on the inside of the Greater trochanter. Because of where it sits, some anatomists group it with the inner-thigh (medial compartment) muscles and some with the gluteal region.

It is the odd one out of the Deep hip rotators. It is the only one supplied by the obturator nerve from the lumbar plexus; the others are supplied by branches of the sacral plexus. From behind, it lies hidden under Quadratus femoris.

For massage it is mainly a name to know. You reach its area only indirectly, through the muscles over it. Do not confuse it with Obturator internus, which covers the inside of the same membrane. Sources differ on abduction: the Wikipedia infobox lists abduction of the thigh, while the article text says it helps abduct only when the hip is flexed (used above).

Techniques

  • Compression — Pressing straight down into a muscle with the palm, fist or forearm, holding briefly, then releasing and moving on.
  • Positional release — A gentle, indirect method where a tender point is monitored with a fingertip while the body part is moved into a comfortable, shortened position that eases the tenderness, held for about 90 seconds.

Works with

  • Quadratus femoris — Flat, four-sided deep muscle between the ischial tuberosity and the back of the femur that strongly laterally rotates and adducts the hip.
  • Obturator internus — Fan-shaped deep hip muscle that starts inside the pelvis, turns around the back of the ischium and laterally rotates the hip.
  • Gemelli — Two small, paired deep hip muscles, above and below the obturator internus tendon, that help it laterally rotate the hip.
  • Piriformis — Flat, pear-shaped deep hip muscle running from the front of the sacrum to the greater trochanter that laterally rotates the hip.

Opposes

  • Gluteus minimus — The smallest and deepest of the three gluteal muscles, lying under gluteus medius, that abducts and medially rotates the hip.
  • Tensor fasciae latae — Small muscle at the front of the outer hip, just below the ASIS, that tightens the iliotibial band and helps flex, abduct and medially rotate the hip.

Same group

  • Gemelli — Two small, paired deep hip muscles, above and below the obturator internus tendon, that help it laterally rotate the hip.
  • Obturator internus — Fan-shaped deep hip muscle that starts inside the pelvis, turns around the back of the ischium and laterally rotates the hip.
  • Piriformis — Flat, pear-shaped deep hip muscle running from the front of the sacrum to the greater trochanter that laterally rotates the hip.
  • Quadratus femoris — Flat, four-sided deep muscle between the ischial tuberosity and the back of the femur that strongly laterally rotates and adducts the hip.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: External obturator muscle
  2. Wikipedia: Obturator nerve
  3. Wikipedia: Lateral rotator group