Femoral Nerve Flashcards
What are the nerve roots of the femoral nerve?
L2-L4
What are the motor functions of the femoral nerve?
Innervates the anterior thigh muscles that flex the hip joint (pectineus, iliacus, sartorius) and extend the knee (quadriceps femoris- rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and vastus intermedius)
What are the sensory functions of the femoral nerve?
Cutaneous branches to the anteromedial thigh (anterior cutaneous branches of the femoral nerve) and terminal cutaneous branch supplies the medial side of the leg and foot (saphenous nerve)
What is the anatomical course of the femoral nerve?
Descends from lumbar plexus in the abdomen through the psoas major muscle
Travels through pelvis to ~mid point of inguinal ligament
Traverses behind the inguinal ligament into the thigh and splits into anterior and posterior division
Passes through femoral triangle lateral to femoral vessels
What happens when the femoral nerve passes through the femoral triangle?
It gives off articular branches to the hip and knee joints
What is the terminal cutaneous branch of the femoral nerve?
The saphenous nerve
What does the saphenous nerve do after formation?
Continues, with the femoral artery and vein, through the adductor canal
What is essential if arterial or venous sampling is required from the femoral artery or vein?
To be away in which order the structures lie
In what order to the femoral structures lie?
Lateral- femoral nerve → femoral artery → femoral vein - medial
What kind of muscles does the femoral nerve supply?
Hip flexors
Knee extensors
What hip flexors does the femoral nerve supply?
Pectineus
Iliacus
Sartorius
What does the pectineus do?
Adducts and flexes the thigh
Assists with medial rotation of the thigh
What does the iliacus do?
Acts with the psoas major and psoas minor (forming iliopsoas) to flex the thigh at the hip joint, and stabilise the hip joint
What does the sartorius do?
Flexes, abducts, and laterally rotates the thigh at the hip joint
Flexes the leg at the knee joint
What knee extensors does the femoral nerve supply?
Quadriceps femoris (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius)
What does the quadriceps femoris do?
Extends the leg at the knee joint
Rectus femoris also steadies hip joint and assists iliopsoas in flexing the thigh
What are the first cutaneous branches of the femoral nerve?
The anterior cutaneous branches
Where do the anterior cutaneous branches of the femoral nerve arise?
In the femoral triangle
What do the anterior cutaneous branches of the femoral nerve do?
Supply the skin on the anteromedial thigh
What is the last cutaneous branch of the femoral nerve?
The saphenous nerve
What does the saphenous nerve do?
Supply the skin on the medial side of the leg and foot
When is the saphenous vein often stripped?
In individuals with problematic varicose veins
What is the saphenous nerve accompanied by in its course?
The long saphenous vein
What can damage during the stripping of the saphenous nerve procedure lead to?
Pain
Paraesthesia
Complete loss of sensation to the medial side of the lower leg
Who may femoral nerve block be indicated in?
Patients requiring lower limb surgery who cannot tolerate a general anaesthetic
What can a femoral nerve block be used as?
As a peri and post operative analgesia for patients with a fractured neck of the femur who cannot tolerate particular analgesics
