Obturator Artery

The Obturator Artery originates from the anterior section of internal iliac artery in the pelvis. Through the obturator canal, it enters the adductor compartment of thigh. It divides into the medial and the lateral branches just outside the obturator canal. The acetabular branch that enters the acetabulum through the gap between acetabular notch and transverse ligament where it supplies acetabular fat and makes a small artery to the femoral head along with the head of the femur is made by lateral branch.
Nearby muscles and anastomose with inferior gluteal and medial circumflex femoral arteries are supplied by vessels originating from anterior and posterior branches. An acetabular vessel that goes from the posterior branch, into the hip joint by the acetabular notch and helps to the supply of the head of the femur has origin point from the posterior branch.

Abnormal obturator artery

Generally a pubic branch of the obturator artery anastomoses with the pubic branch of the inferior epigastric artery. Sometimes this anastomosis is so large and well developed that the obturator artery appears to be a branch of the inferior epigastric artery.