Femoral nerve dysfunction

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Femoral nerve damage

Femoral nerve dysfunction is a loss of movement or sensation in the leg (peripheral neuropathy) caused by damage to the femoral nerve.

Neuropathy - femoral nerve

The femoral nerve is located in the leg and supplies the muscles that help straighten the leg. It supplies sensation to the front of the thigh and part of the lower leg.

Damage in a single nerve group such as the femoral nerve is classed as mononeuropathy. Mononeuropathy usually means there is a local cause of the nerve damage, although systemic disorders (involving the entire body) can also cause isolated nerve damage (such as occurs with mononeuritis multiplex).

The usual causes are direct trauma, prolonged pressure on the nerve, and compression of the nerve by nearby body structures or pathologic structures (such as a tumor). Prolonged pressure may be complicated by ischemia (lack of oxygen caused by decreased blood flow) in the area.

Entrapment involves pressure on the nerve where it passes through a narrow structure. The damage includes destruction of the myelin sheath of the nerve or destruction of part of the nerve cell (the axon). This damage slows or prevents passage of impulses through the nerve.

The femoral nerve can be injured as a result of pelvic fractures. It may be injured during catheterization of the femoral artery. It can be affected by diseases causing polyneuropathy (damage to multiple nerves) such as diabetes or polyarteritis nodosa. It can be damaged by pressure from tumors, abscesses, or internal bleeding into the pelvis or abdomen.

One common risk factor is lying in the "lithotomy" position (on the back with thighs and legs flexed) during surgery or diagnostic procedures. In some cases, no cause can be found.

Review Date: 01/23/2006
Reviewed By: Kevin Sheth, M.D., Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.