Obturator artery

The obturator artery is most often a branch of the anterior division of the internal iliac artery (Read more!). It arises close to the origin of the umbilical artery and passes anteroinferiorly, traveling along the lateral wall of the lesser pelvis toward the obturator foramen. On its way to the foramen, it crosses the ureter and ductus deferens on their lateral sides (the ductus deferens and the ureter are medial to the obturator artery). This artery passes between the obturator nerve (superior to the artery) and the obturator vein (inferior to the artery).