Lateral View Showing The Structure Of The Obturator Crest

Description

Obturator crest on the superior ramus of the pubis is featured in lateral profile, forming a sharp bony ridge that runs from the pubic tubercle posterolaterally toward the anterior margin of the acetabulum. Lateral to the pubic body, the crest borders the superior aspect of the obturator foramen and sits just anterior to the acetabular rim where the pubis contributes to the hip socket. The pecten pubis (pectineal line) lies superior to the crest on the pelvic brim, while the obturator groove and the anticipated course of the obturator canal occupy an inferoposterior relationship along the superior pubic ramus. A small landmark. Surgeons and educators come back to this ridge because it helps orient the anterior pelvis when surface landmarks are limited and the obturator neurovascular bundle is nearby. The obturator canal forms at the superior margin of the obturator foramen, and fractures of the superior pubic ramus or anterior acetabular column can distort this region, raising concern for obturator nerve irritation with medial thigh pain and weak hip adduction. Lateral perspective also clarifies how the crest relates to the acetabulum, which matters when teaching acetabular column anatomy and planning screw trajectories for anterior column fixation where cortical ridges guide safe hardware placement. Use this illustration in pelvic osteology labs, hip and pelvis fracture teaching sets, and operative anatomy figures for the ilioinguinal and modified Stoppa approaches where the superior pubic ramus serves as a corridor. It also supports radiology correlation when describing pubic ramus fractures on AP pelvis and oblique Judet views by anchoring the reader to palpable and reproducible bony contours. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.