Bony spurs projecting in the obturator foramen.
The obturator foramen is large oval aperture in males or irregularly triangular  aperture in females in the hipbone, situated anteroinferior to the acetabulum  between the pubis and ischium. The dry bone under study is a male left sided  hipbone. It contains the obturator groove through which the obturator nerve  and vessels pass. During analysis of hipbones in the osteology laboratory of  CSM Medical University Lucknow, UP, India, a hipbone was found in which  bony spurs or exostoses were projecting from the margins into the obturator  foramen. These bony projections in the obturator foramen constitute a new  anatomical variant in the hipbone, as they have not been reported before.  These bony spurs may impinge on the obturator nerve and vessels causing  neurovascular complications and also trauma to the soft tissues during biomechanical  movements. In addition, these bony spurs may cause spasms of the  obturator internus and externus muscles, causing groin pain. These bony projections  may also lead to misinterpretation of radiographs. Thus, knowledge of  these bony spurs is of paramount importance to anatomists, surgeons, sport  physicians, and radiologists.
Department of Anatomy, CSM Medical University, Lucknow, India. nani_sahayal@rediffmail.com
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D005096:Exostoses / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009776:Obturator Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000473:pathology*