RUPTURE OF THE OBTURATOR EXTERNAL MUSCLE – A RARE INJURY Marcio Luís Duarte, Élcio Roberto Duarte

Abstract

Obturator externus muscle is an external rotator of the hip that covers the outer surface of the anterior wall of the pelvis, arising from the obturator foramen, the pubic ramus, the ramus of the isquium and from the obturator membrane. Obturator externus injury is a rare cause of hip pain. Diagnosis is delayed until MRI, as other investigations are non-contributory. The rarity of this diagnosis in literature may be due to mistaken diagnosis, subtleness of imaging findings and lack of knowledge by the interpreting radiologist. Radiologists should be familiar with the complex anatomy of hip joint and specific injuries around hip.