ABSTRACT
Solely a sensory nerve, the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve originates from the L2 and L3 nerve roots, passes under the psoas muscle, and emerges laterally to cross the ilium buried in a fibrous tunnel formed by a doubling in the fascia of the iliacus muscle. As shown in Figure 43.1, the nerve courses toward the medial aspect of the anterior superior iliac spine and bends through the inguinal ligament at an angle of 70 to 90 degrees. At this point, the nerve divides into a thick anterior and thin posterior branch. Leaving the pelvis in this fashion, the anterior branch pierces the fascia lata to innervate the skin of the lateral thigh (Figure 43.2). The posterior branch runs deep under the tensor fascia lata muscle to innervate the skin of the gluteal region.
