Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve

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Innervation area of ​​the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve
Frontolateral view of the right side of the pelvis. Above left is the insertion of the inguinal ligament on the iliac spine under which the nerve runs from central to distal

The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is a purely sensitive branch of the leg nerve plexus ( lumbar plexus ) from segments L2-L3, which supplies the lateral thigh with sensitivity.

After leaving the psoas major muscle , it runs under the fascia of the iliopsoas muscle towards the anterior superior iliac spine . Medial to it, it leaves the pelvis through the lacuna musculorum and moves, initially just below the fascia lata, then above it to the skin of the lateral thigh.

Since the nerve bends caudally at an angle of about 80 ° when it leaves the pelvis, compression of the nerve with corresponding sensitivity disorders can occur (especially in the case of pronounced extension). It is also not infrequently compressed by the iliopsoas muscle , which runs further in the middle , resulting in a typical nerve compression syndrome , the meralgia paraesthetica . In addition, at this point it is only protected to a very limited extent by the surrounding fatty tissue.