Which nerve provides innervation to adductor longus?

• A. Posterior division obturator nerve
• B. Tibial nerve
• C. Femoral nerve
• D. Anterior division obturator nerve

Answer: (D)

Adductor longus is a medial thigh muscle that adducts the thigh, and it is supplied by the obturator nerve. The obturator nerve splits into anterior and posterior divisions in the medial thigh; the anterior division innervates the adductor group, including adductor longus (as well as adductor brevis and gracilis). The posterior division supplies other muscles like the adductor magnus (part) and obturator externus. So the nerve providing innervation to adductor longus is the anterior division of the obturator nerve. The tibial nerve and femoral nerve innervate different muscle groups (tibial for posterior compartments of the leg and some thigh muscles, femoral for the anterior thigh), so they don’t supply this muscle.