The femoral nerve is a collection of fibers within the leg that aids in leg movement and sensation. If this nerve is damaged due to trauma or disease--a condition called mononeuropathy--femoral nerve damage symptoms can arise. Though this condition is rare, talk with a doctor if any symptoms of femoral nerve damage develop.
Knee Instability
A patient who sustains femoral nerve damage can experience knee instability as a symptom of this injury, explains Patient UK, a comprehensive health information web site provided by general practitioners in the United Kingdom. Knee instability can cause the knee to buckle or lock when a patient attempts to walk or climb a set of stairs. This symptom of femoral nerve damage can make it difficult for affected patients to stand or move about normally. Though rare, painful sensations may develop within the knee as a result of knee instability in certain patients.
Numbness or Tingling
The femoral nerve transmits messages from the brain to the leg muscles, enabling them to extend the leg and respond to external stimuli, explains Medline Plus, a health information website established by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. National Library of Medicine. If this nerve is damaged, an affected patient can experience unusual sensations, such as numbness or tingling, within the injured leg. These sensations may occur around the knee and can also extend into the thigh or calf muscles. Numbness or tingling can be uncomfortable and may develop in conjunction with knee instability or muscle weakness in certain patients.
Knee or Leg Weakness
Injury to the femoral nerve can lead to weakness within the knee or leg of an affected patient, explain medical professionals at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. Muscle weakness within the leg can make it difficult for a patient to stand or walk normally. Sensations of weakness may be most apparent when a patient attempts to walk down a flight of stairs, warns Medline Plus. Depending upon the severity of femoral nerve damage, these symptoms may be temporary or permanent.
