The femoral nerve conducts nerve impulses from the leg to the spinal cord. It contains both motor and sensory nerve fibers. The motor nerves supply the muscles of extension, which allow the legs to straighten at the knees. The sensory nerves receive input from the front of the thigh and lower leg, allowing the brain to detect pain or pressure. Femoral nerve damage can impair an individual's ability to walk properly. A number of different factors can cause femoral nerve damage.
Trauma
The University of Maryland Medical Center states that direct injury is one of the most common causes of femoral nerve damage. This often occurs due to pelvic fractures incurred during a motor vehicle accident or fall. The femoral nerve exits the spinal cord between the lower lumbar vertebrae and then descends in the front of the pelvis to supply the anterior region of the leg. Its proximity to the pelvis makes it vulnerable to injury when the pelvic bones are fractured.
Ischemia
Ischemia is lack of blood flow to the tissues of the body that require oxygen. Without oxygen, cells can be damaged or die. Conditions that cause a reduction in blood flow, such as impingement of blood vessels, can result in ischemia that damages the femoral artery.
Compression
Pressure on a nerve can cause damage to the insulating layer that protects the nerve, called the myelin sheath, or it can damage the fibers of the nerve itself, preventing the adequate conduction of nerve impulses. The femoral nerve can be impinged by pressure from a muscle or due to the presence of a tumor in adjacent tissues.
Surgical Complications
Pelvic surgery that involves structures near the femoral nerve can sometimes result in femoral nerve damage. Doctors at the Department of Neurosurgery of Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, investigated a number of cases where surgery to the lower lumbar spine resulted in femoral nerve palsy. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that placement of a catheter into the femoral artery can sometimes damage the femoral nerve.
Systemic Illness
A number of diseases can cause damage to nerves throughout the body. Diabetic neuropathy is a common example of this. FamilyDoctor.org explains that excess blood sugar damages nerves and blood vessels and leads to symptoms such as muscle weakness, numbness and pain in the appendages, and difficulty walking.
References
- HealthCentral: Femoral Nerve Dysfunction
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Femoral Nerve Dysfunction: All Information
- "Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine"; Vulnerability of the Femoral Nerve During Complex Anterior and Posterior Spinal Surgery; Swetha Naroji et al.; December 2008
- FamilyDoctor: Diabetic Neuropathy
