2. ADDUCTOR COMPARTMENT
IT IS WELL DEVELOPED
ITS COUNTERPART IN THE ARM HAS
UNDERGONE DEGENERATION DURING
THE COURSE OF EVOLUTION
REPRESENTED ONLY BY A WEAK
CORACOBRACHIALIS MUSCLE OF THE
FLEXOR COMPARTMENT OF THE ARM
3. BOUNDARIES
ANTERIORLY- MEDIAL INTERMUSCULAR SEPTUM WHICH
SEPARATES IT FROM THE ANTERIOR (EXTENSOR) COMPARTMENT OF
THE THIGH
POSTERIORLY- ILL-DEFINED POSTERIOR INTERMUSCULAR SEPTUM
WHICH SEPARATES IT FROM POSTERIOR (FLEXOR) COMPARTMENT
OF THE THIGH
THE POSTERIOR INTERMUSCULAR SEPTUM IS ILL-DEFINED AND
INCOMPLETE DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A COMPOSITE MUSCLE, THE
ADDUCTOR MAGNUS, CONSISTING OF TWO COMPONENTS
ADDUCTOR AND FLEXOR (HAMSTRING) BELONGING TO ADDUCTOR
AND FLEXOR COMPARTMENTS OF THE THIGH, RESPECTIVELY
5. MUSCLES
THE MUSCLES OF THE MEDIAL COMPARTMENT OF THE
THIGH ARE ARRANGED INTO THREE LAYERS.
FROM SUPERFICIAL TO DEEP THESE ARE
1. ANTERIOR (FIRST) LAYER CONSISTS OF PECTINEUS,
ADDUCTOR LONGUS, AND GRACILIS.
2. MIDDLE (SECOND) LAYER CONSISTS OF ADDUCTOR
BREVIS.
3. POSTERIOR (THIRD) LAYER CONSISTS OF ADDUCTOR
MAGNUS.
9. OBTURATOR NERVE
CHIEF NERVE OF THE ADDUCTOR
COMPARTMENT OF THE THIGH
ARISES FROM THE LUMBAR PLEXUS IN THE
ABDOMEN
IT IS FORMED BY THE VENTRAL DIVISION OF
THE ANTERIOR PRIMARY RAMI OF L2, L3, L4
SPINAL NERVES
IT ENTERS THE THIGH BY PASSING THROUGH
THE OBTURATOR CANAL
10. COURSE AND DISTRIBUTION
WHILE PASSING THROUGH THE OBTURATOR CANAL THE OBTURATOR NERVE DIVIDES
INTO ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR DIVISIONS
ANTERIOR DIVISION- PASSES DOWNWARDS INTO THE THIGH IN FRONT OF THE
OBTURATOR EXTERNUS
THEN DESCENDS BEHIND THE PECTINEUS AND THE ADDUCTOR LONGUS, AND IN FRONT
OF THE ADDUCTOR BREVIS
THE ANTERIOR DIVISION SUPPLIES THE FOLLOWING MUSCLES:
(a) PECTINEUS
(b) ADDUCTOR LONGUS
(c) GRACILIS
(d) ADDUCTOR BREVIS
THE ANTERIOR DIVISION ALSO GIVES AN ARTICULAR TWIG TO THE HIP JOINT
DISTAL TO THE ADDUCTOR LONGUS, IT ENTERS THE ADDUCTOR CANAL WHERE IT
PROVIDES A TWIG TO THE SUBSARTORIAL PLEXUS OF NERVES AND TERMINATES BY
SUPPLYING THE FEMORAL ARTERY IN THE ADDUCTOR CANAL
11. COURSE AND DISTRIBUTION
POSTERIOR DIVISION- ENTERS THE THIGH BY PIERCING THE ANTERIOR PART OF
THE OBTURATOR EXTERNUS MUSCLE WHICH IT SUPPLIES
IT THEN DESCENDS BEHIND THE ADDUCTOR BREVIS AND IN FRONT OF THE
ADDUCTOR MAGNUS
THE POSTERIOR DIVISION SUPPLIES THE FOLLOWING MUSCLES:
(a) OBTURATOR EXTERNUS
(b) ADDUCTOR MAGNUS
(c) ADDUCTOR BREVIS
ITS TERMINAL PART FORMS AN ARTICULAR BRANCH CALLED GENICULAR
BRANCH
WHICH PIERCES THE ADDUCTOR MAGNUS OR PASSES THROUGH HIATUS FOR
FEMORAL VESSELS TO REACH THE POPLITEAL FOSSA
WHERE IT RUNS ALONG THE POPLITEAL VESSELS AND PIERCES THE OBLIQUE
POPLITEAL LIGAMENT TO SUPPLY THE KNEE JOINT
12. CLINICAL ANATOMY
ADDUCTOR SPASM OF THE THIGH: SPASM OF THE ADDUCTORS OF THE THIGH IN
SPASTIC PARAPLEGIA MAY BE RELIEVED BY SURGICAL DIVISION OF THE
OBTURATOR NERVE.
REFERRED PAIN: IN DISEASES OF THE KNEE JOINT, THE PAIN MAY BE REFERRED TO
THE HIP JOINT ALONG THE OBTURATOR NERVE (L2, L3, AND L4) BECAUSE IT
SUPPLIES BOTH THESE JOINTS.
13. PROFUNDA FEMORIS ARTERY
LARGEST BRANCH OF THE FEMORAL ARTERY
THE CHIEF SOURCE OF BLOOD SUPPLY TO THE MUSCLES OF ALL THE THREE COMPARTMENTS
OF THE THIGH
IT ARISES FROM THE LATERAL SIDE OF THE FEMORAL ARTERY IN THE FEMORAL TRIANGLE
ABOUT 4 CM BELOW THE INGUINAL LIGAMENT
BEHIND THE FEMORAL VESSELS, GIVING OFF MEDIAL AND LATERAL CIRCUMFLEX ARTERIES
IT THEN PASSES POSTERIORLY BETWEEN PECTINEUS AND ADDUCTOR LONGUS THEN
DESCENDS CLOSE TO FEMUR SUCCESSIVELY BETWEEN ADDUCTOR LONGUS AND ADDUCTOR
BREVIS, BETWEEN ADDUCTOR LONGUS AND ADDUCTOR MAGNUS
HERE IT GIVES OFF FIRST THREE PERFORATING ARTERIES
ITS TERMINAL PART PIERCES THE ADDUCTOR MAGNUS AS THE FOURTH PERFORATING
15. OBTURATOR ARTERY
IT ARISES FROM THE ANTERIOR DIVISION OF INTERNAL ILIAC ARTERY IN
THE PELVIS
IT ENTERS THE ADDUCTOR COMPARTMENT OF THE THIGH THROUGH THE
OBTURATOR CANAL
JUST OUTSIDE THE OBTURATOR CANAL
IT DIVIDES INTO MEDIAL AND LATERAL BRANCHES
THE LATERAL BRANCH GIVES OFF AN ACETABULAR TWIG
WHICH ENTERS THE ACETABULUM THROUGH A GAP BETWEEN
ACETABULAR NOTCH AND TRANSVERSE ACETABULAR LIGAMENT
WHERE IT SUPPLIES ACETABULAR FAT AND GIVES OFF A SLENDER ARTERY
TO THE FEMORAL HEAD ALONG THE LIGAMENT OF THE HEAD OF FEMUR.