Symptoms of an obturator nerve injury can vary depending on how severely the nerve is damaged. Common symptoms include:
An obturator nerve injury can result from impact directly to the nerve or to the surrounding muscle tissue. It’s a rare injury because the obturator nerve is wedged deep within the pelvis and medial thigh. Common causes of injury include:
If you’ve had prior surgeries, prior trauma to the pelvis or thigh, or prior hematoma, you may be at a higher risk of developing an obturator nerve injury. Athletes can reduce their risk by properly warming up before intense movement and stretching regularly.
Persistent pain in the groin and thigh can be challenging to diagnose, since there can be many causes, such as hernias, tendonitis, stress fractures, and bursitis. The obturator nerve is located deep within the thigh and may require a series of tests to diagnose an injury, including:
Physical exam: the doctor will look for tenderness around your groin and ask about changes in sensation to identify the source of pain.
MRI and CT scans: check for tumors, hematomas, and other growths that could be compressing the obturator nerve
Electromyography (EMG): measures muscle and nerve response to determine whether the muscle responds appropriately to stimulation
Options for treating an obturator nerve injury include physical therapy, pain management, and in some cases, surgical repair. Acute injuries can be treated with pain relief medications and physical therapy to rebuild the muscle.
If EMG testing shows severe lesions to the nerve, surgery may be required to regain full function. Not everyone is a candidate for surgery; however, it can be an effective way to treat the underlying cause of obturator nerve pain and other symptoms.
If your obturator nerve is compressed from scar tissue, a tumor, or other growth, nerve decompression surgery can remove the underlying cause and relieve the pressure on your nerve. This innovative, minimally invasive procedure involves just three small incisions to allow doctors to release the damaged nerve from whatever is compressing it.
Nerve decompression surgery lasts about an hour and a half and helps most patients achieve significant pain relief and regain some sensation and mobility in their groin and thigh immediately. They typically return to everyday activities in two to three weeks and can achieve further improvements and long-lasting results with physical therapy.
Nerve repair surgery is an option for some patients whose obturator nerve is too damaged to heal from decompression alone. It involves removing scar tissue from the nerve endings, then reconnecting the nerve with a small suture to restore its function.
The procedure can take over two hours and recovery times may vary depending on the extent of the damage. Sometimes, the nerve function is restored quickly, other times, it can take months for the injured muscle to fully regrow.
Severe nerve damage may result in a large section of the nerve being crushed or missing. A nerve transplant, sometimes called a nerve graft, involves bridging the gap with nerve tissue taken from somewhere else in the body (autograft) or from a cadaver (allograft). Similar to splicing a wire, the nerve will regenerate through the transplant to restore movement and sensation.
A nerve transplant can take several hours to complete. Recovery can take several weeks or months, as it takes time for the nerve fibers to regrow.
Get to know the doctors and surgeons at The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction, who are highly skilled and experienced in diagnosing and treating obturator nerve injuries.
The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction participates in a wide range of insurance plans, including those listed below. However, each physician has their own accepted insurance and hospital affiliations. Before scheduling an appointment, please contact your insurance carrier to confirm that your provider is in-network.
If we are not an in-network provider, our friendly insurance specialists will help you find the most coverage available for your treatment.
While many obturator nerve injuries can be treated conservatively with pain management and physical therapy, surgery may be required if the nerve is severely damaged or compressed. If you’re experiencing obturator nerve pain that’s interfering with your daily life, contact the Institute for Advanced Reconstruction and schedule a consultation to find out if you qualify for obturator nerve injury treatment today.
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