A branch of the obturator nerve (L3, L4) arising before or just after the nerve passes through the obturator canal, supplying the obturator externus muscle — an external hip rotator. It is the most proximal motor branch of the obturator nerve.
The nerve to obturator externus is preserved in hip adductor weakness from obturator nerve entrapment at the adductor canal (distal) since it branches proximally. Its isolation in EMG studies helps localise obturator nerve injury to the pelvis vs the thigh. Obturator externus denervation produces subtle impairment of external hip rotation, most apparent in athletes who perform lateral hip rotation movements.
Preserved obturator externus EMG in adductor weakness localises the obturator nerve lesion to distal to the obturator canal (thigh level) rather than within the pelvis.
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