Lateral cutaneous nerve of thigh
Encyclopedia
The lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh (also called the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve) is a cutaneous nerve
that innervates the skin on the lateral part of the thigh
.
. It then passes under the inguinal ligament
and over the sartorius
muscle into the thigh, where it divides into an anterior and a posterior branch.
The anterior branch becomes superficial about 10 cm below the inguinal ligament, and divides into branches which are distributed to the skin of the anterior and lateral parts of the thigh, as far as the knee. The terminal filaments of this nerve frequently communicate with the anterior cutaneous branches of the femoral nerve
, and with the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve
, forming with them the peripatellar plexus
.
The posterior branch pierces the fascia lata
, and subdivides into filaments which pass backward across the lateral and posterior surfaces of the thigh, supplying the skin from the level of the greater trochanter
to the middle of the thigh.
Cutaneous nerve
A cutaneous nerve is a nerve that innervates the skin.-Human anatomy:In human anatomy, cutaneous nerves are responsible for providing sensory innervation to the skin. They are generally thought of as sensory-only nerves, but they may provide motor innervation to structures in the skin, e.g...
that innervates the skin on the lateral part of the thigh
Thigh
In humans the thigh is the area between the pelvis and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.The single bone in the thigh is called the femur...
.
Structure
The lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh is a nerve of the lumbar plexus. It arises from the dorsal divisions of the second and third lumbar nerves. It emerges from the lateral border of the psoas major at about its middle, and crosses the iliacus muscle obliquely, toward the anterior superior iliac spineAnterior superior iliac spine
The anterior superior iliac spine is an important landmark of surface anatomy. It refers to the anterior extremity of the iliac crest of the pelvis, which provides attachment for the inguinal ligament, and the sartorius muscle...
. It then passes under the inguinal ligament
Inguinal ligament
The inguinal ligament is a band running from the pubic tubercle to the anterior superior iliac spine. Its anatomy is very important for operating on hernia patients.-Anatomy:...
and over the sartorius
Sartorius muscle
The Sartorius muscle – the longest muscle in the human body – is a long thin muscle that runs down the length of the thigh. Its upper portion forms the lateral border of the femoral triangle.-Origin and insertion:...
muscle into the thigh, where it divides into an anterior and a posterior branch.
The anterior branch becomes superficial about 10 cm below the inguinal ligament, and divides into branches which are distributed to the skin of the anterior and lateral parts of the thigh, as far as the knee. The terminal filaments of this nerve frequently communicate with the anterior cutaneous branches of the femoral nerve
Femoral nerve
The femoral nerve, the largest branch of the lumbar plexus, arises from the dorsal divisions of the ventral rami of the second, third, and fourth lumbar nerves...
, and with the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve
Saphenous nerve
The saphenous nerve is the largest cutaneous branch of the femoral nerve.-Path:It approaches the femoral artery where this vessel passes beneath the sartorius, and lies in front of the artery, behind the aponeurotic covering of the adductor canal, as far as the opening in the lower part of the...
, forming with them the peripatellar plexus
Patellar plexus
The terminal filaments of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve frequently communicate with the anterior cutaneous branches of the femoral nerve, and with the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve, forming with them the patellar plexus ....
.
The posterior branch pierces the fascia lata
Fascia lata
-Thickness:It is an investment for the whole of the thigh, but varies in thickness in different parts.Thus, it is thicker in the upper and lateral part of the thigh, where it receives a fibrous expansion from the Glutæus maximus, and where the Tensor fasciæ latæ is inserted between its layers; it...
, and subdivides into filaments which pass backward across the lateral and posterior surfaces of the thigh, supplying the skin from the level of the greater trochanter
Greater trochanter
The greater trochanter of the femur is a large, irregular, quadrilateral eminence and a part of the skeletal system.It is directed a little lateralward and backward, and, in the adult, is about 1 cm lower than the head...
to the middle of the thigh.
See also
- cutaneous nerveCutaneous nerveA cutaneous nerve is a nerve that innervates the skin.-Human anatomy:In human anatomy, cutaneous nerves are responsible for providing sensory innervation to the skin. They are generally thought of as sensory-only nerves, but they may provide motor innervation to structures in the skin, e.g...
- Posterior cutaneous nerve of thighPosterior cutaneous nerve of thighThe posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh provides innervation to the skin of the posterior surface of the thigh and leg, as well as to the skin of the perineum.-Structure:...
- Meralgia paraestheticaMeralgia paraestheticaMeralgia paraesthetica , or meralgia paresthetica — also called Bernhardt-Roth syndrome — is numbness or pain in the outer thigh not caused by injury to the thigh, but by injury to a nerve that extends from the thigh to the spinal column.This chronic neurological disorder involves a single...