Obturator artery revisited

Introduction and hypothesis The aim of this work is to analyse the variability of the obturator artery (oa), unify previous criteria and propose a simple classification for clinical use. Methods A sample of 119 adult human embalmed cadavers was used. Origin and course of the oa in relation with the external iliac artery, internal iliac artery and inferior epigastric artery were studied. Chi-squared and t test were used for statistical comparison, and p<0.05 was considered significant. Results Based on the number of roots of origin, three different situations were observed. The oa shows a single origin (96.55%). The oa presents a double origin (3.02%), or the oa arises from three roots (0.43%). The first situation was subclassified into six types according to the oa origin. Equal vascular pattern in both hemi-pelvises was observed in 58.93%. Conclusions Almost 31% of oa passes over the superior pubic ramus implying an increased risk during some procedures. © 2011 The International Urogynecological Association.