obturator

1. An organic structure, such as the soft palate, that closes an opening in the body.
2. A prosthetic device serving to close an opening in the body.

A prosthesis used to close a congenital or acquired opening in the palate. See also aid, prosthetic speech.

A disk or plate that closes an opening, e.g. to close a cleft palate temporarily or permanently.

• o. muscles — the muscles that rotate the thigh laterally.
• o. nerve degeneration — causes permanent obturator nerve paralysis (below).
• o. paralysis — commonly follows pressure on the obturator nerve during parturition; causes inability to adduct the thighs and the cow does the splits. When recumbent the legs are splayed with one on either side of the body.

  Obturator paralysis. By permission from Sack W, Wensing CJG, Dyce KM, Textbook of Veterinary Anatomy, Saunders, 2002

Obturator, is a term used to refer to an object used to obstruct a hole. Specifically, it can refer to:

Contents 1 Medical terms 2 Botany 3 Early aircraft engines 4 Gunnery

Medical terms

1. The central removable core of a medical instrument (e.g. a proctoscope) which allows easy insertion of the tip into the anus or other orifice. The obturator typically has a rounded end which protrudes through the far opening of the instrument. This is inserted into the orifice and then withdrawn allowing easy viewing of the cavity being examined.

2. a prosthetic device serving to close an opening in the body. Can be used as a maxillofacial prosthesis to close a cleft palate.

• Palatal obturator

3. A naming convention used to describe an anatomical structures that obturates an anatomical foramen or aperture

• Obturator artery
• Obturator nerve
• Obturator vein
• Obturator externus muscle
• Obturator internus muscle
• Obturator membrane
• Obturator canal
• Obturator foramen

Botany

• a projection from the ovary wall, placenta, funiculus, or integument that covers the micropyle. ^[1]

Early aircraft engines

• Obturator ring

Gunnery

• Obturating ring

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1. ^ Peter F. Stevens (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. In: Missouri Botanical Garden Website.

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