ANATOMICAL COURSE OF THE LATERAL FEMORAL CUTANEOUS NERVE AND ITS SUSCEPTIBILITY TO COMPRESSION AND INJURY

The anatomy of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve was investigated th rough dissection of 52 human anatomic specimens. The variability of it s course and location as it exits the pelvis is described and related to soft-tissue and bon! landmarks. Five different types are identified : type A, posterior to the anterior superior iliac spine, across the i liac crest (4 percent); type B, anterior-to the anterior superior ilia c spine and superficial to the origin of the sartorius muscle but with in the substance of the inguinal ligament (27 percent); type C, medial to the anterior superior iliac spine, ensheathed in the tendinous ori gin of the sartorius muscle (23 percent); type D, medial to the origin of the sartorius muscle located in an interval between the tendon of the sartorius muscle and thick fascia of the iliopsoas muscle deep to the inguinal ligament (26 percent); and type E, most medial and embedd ed in loose connective tissue, deep to the inguinal ligament, overlyin g the thin fascia of the iliopsoas muscle, and contributing the femora l branch of the genitofemoral nerve (20 percent). The results of this study suggest that the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is most suscept ible to mechanical trauma when the nerve is type A, B, or C.