The obturator artery originates as a branch of the internal iliac artery in the pelvic cavity and enters the medial compartment of the thigh through the obturator canal (Fig. 6.67). As it passes through the canal, it bifurcates into an anterior branch and a posterior branch, which together form a channel that circles the margin of the obturator membrane and lies within the attachment of the obturator externus muscle.