Femoral Nerve

Authors

Affiliations

Nate Yomogida, PT, DPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.S. in Kinesiology

Chloë Kerstein, PT, DPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.A. in Neuroscience

Femoral nerve (right leg, anterior view)1 — Femoral nerve (right leg, anterior view)¹

Overview

Nerve	Roots	Motor Innervation	Cutaneous Innervation
Femoral N.	L2, L3, L4

Roots

L2, L3, L4¹

Pathway

4 cm below inguinal lig femoral nerve divides into anterior and post division
Anterior: mm branches to sartorius and pectineus if not already from above, and innervation to skin from med femoral cutaneous and intermediate cutaneous nerves of the thigh
Posterior division: mm branches to quads and saphenous nerve
Terminal cutaneous branch of the femoral nerve is the saphenous nerve
Travels thru adductor canal , exits prior to add hiatus

Motor innervation

Table 1: Femoral Nerve Muscular innervations

Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Innervation	Action
Articular genus	Anterior Femoral shaft	Suprapatellar recess of knee joint capsule	Femoral n. L2 - L4	Knee: Extension Knee Jt. Capsule: Retraction of the suprapatellar bursa to prevent entrapment
Iliacus	Iliac Fossa	Lesser Trochanter	Femoral n. L2 - L3	Hip: Flexion, ER L/S (UNIL contraction on fixed femur): I/L spine sidebend L/S (BIL contraction): Raises trunk from supine position
Pectineus	Pecten pubis	Pectineal line Proximal linea aspera	Femoral n. Obturator n. L2 - L3	Hip: ER, Adduction, slight Flexion Pelvis: Frontal plane stabilization, Sagittal plane stabilization
Rectus femoris	AIIS Acetabular roof	Tibial tuberosity via Patellar ligament	Femoral n. L2 - L4	Hip: Flexion Knee: Extension
Sartorius	ASIS	Pes anserine	Femoral n. L2 - L3	Hip: Flexion, ER, Abduction Knee: Flexion, IR
Vastus intermedius	Anterior Femoral shaft	Tibial tuberosity via Patellar ligament	Femoral n. L2 - L4	Knee: Extension
Vastus lateralis	Lateral lip of Linea aspera Lateral surface of Greater trochanter	Tibial tuberosity via Patellar ligament Tibial tuberosity and patella via Patellar retinacula	Femoral n. L2 - L4	Knee: Extension
Vastus medialis	Linea aspera Intertrochanteric line	Tibial tuberosity via Patellar ligament Patellar retinacula	Femoral n. L2 - L4	Knee: Extension

Muscles innervated by the Femoral N.
Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Nerve	Action
Psoas Major	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Iliopsoas muscles/psoas_major.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Iliopsoas muscles/psoas_major.html#insertion	?var:ref-psoas-major.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Iliopsoas muscles/psoas_major.html#action
Iliacus	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Iliopsoas muscles/iliacus.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Iliopsoas muscles/iliacus.html#insertion	?var:ref-iliacus.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Iliopsoas muscles/iliacus.html#action
Pectineus	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Medial Thigh Muscles/pectineus.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Medial Thigh Muscles/pectineus.html#insertion	?var:ref-pectineus.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Medial Thigh Muscles/pectineus.html#action
Sartorius	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/sartorius.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/sartorius.html#insertion	?var:ref-sartorius.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/sartorius.html#action
Rectus Femoris	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/rectus_femoris.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/rectus_femoris.html#insertion	?var:ref-rectus-femoris.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/rectus_femoris.html#action
Vastus Medialis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/vastus_medialis.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/vastus_medialis.html#insertion	?var:ref-vastus-medialis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/vastus_medialis.html#action
Vastus Lateralis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/vastus_lateralis.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/vastus_lateralis.html#insertion	?var:ref-vastus-lateralis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/vastus_lateralis.html#action
Vastus Intermedius	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/vastus_intermedius.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/vastus_intermedius.html#insertion	?var:ref-vastus-intermedius.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/vastus_intermedius.html#action
Articularis Genus	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/articularis_genus.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/articularis_genus.html#insertion	?var:ref-articularis-genus.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Anterior Thigh Muscles/articularis_genus.html#action

Iliopsoas Pectineus Sartorius Quadriceps femoris¹

Cutaneous Innervation

Dysfunction

Femoral Nerve “may be compromised by herniation of intervertebral disks at L4 or L5 as they pass through the intervertebral foramina”¹
Entrapment : rare but possible at inguinal ligament or adductor canal??

Entrapment

Reading list

Femoral nerve p373²

References

Gilroy AM, MacPherson BR, Wikenheiser JC, Voll MM, Wesker K, Schünke M, eds. Atlas of Anatomy. 4th ed. Thieme; 2020.

Kolar P. Clinical Rehabilitation. 1st ed. Dynamic Neurological Stabilization; 2014.

Citation

For attribution, please cite this work as:

Yomogida N, Kerstein C. Femoral Nerve. https://yomokerst.com/The Archive/Anatomy/Nerves/Lumbosacral Plexus/Lumbar plexus/femoral_nerve.html