Symptoms of cutaneous nerve injury

Skin health has always been a concern for everyone. Many people often suffer from cutaneous nerve damage. This nerve damage comes from many factors, including complications caused by surgery, or complications caused by lateral cutaneous nerve damage and diseases. You need to go to the hospital for examination and understand this symptom after the onset of the disease. It will mainly cause numbness on the outside of the thigh, pain, and functional impairment.

Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve

The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is a branch of the lumbar plexus. The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve comes from the posterior branch of the anterior branches of the second and third lumbar nerves. It runs obliquely outward and downward outside the psoas major muscle, passes through the front of the iliacus muscle and on the inner side of the anterior superior iliac spine, under the inguinal ligament to the thigh, passes through the anterior and posterior part of the sartorius muscle or through the upper part of the muscle, divides into anterior and posterior branches, and passes through the deep surface of the deep fascia lata to the superficial fascia. The anterior branch is responsible for the skin sensation of the patella, knee and front of the thigh, and penetrates the fascia lata about 10 cm below the anterior superior iliac spine. The posterior ramus is responsible for sensation in the skin of the outer thigh.

Causes

Surgical complications and lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy. Iatrogenic lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury is the most common complication in iliac crest bone grafting surgery. Lumbar corsets can also cause lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury.

symptom

Numbness, decreased sensation, and pain in the anterior and lateral thigh.

diagnosis

The diagnosis of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury mainly relies on clinical manifestations, namely decreased sensation in the anterolateral thigh area. Lumbar spine diseases must be excluded and cortical somatosensory evoked potentials can be combined when necessary.

treat

After an injury, in principle, the earlier the treatment, the better the prognosis. A combination of non-surgical and surgical treatments is often used. Maintain limb circulation, joint mobility and muscle tone to prevent deformity and trauma. Paralyzed limbs are susceptible to trauma, frostbite, burns and pressure injuries, so they should be protected. The purpose of non-surgical treatment is to create conditions for the recovery of nerve and limb function, and it can be used both after injury and after surgery. Please combine the specific treatment plan with clinical practice.