Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve

The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (also lateral cutaneous nerve of thigh, latin: nervus cutaneus femoris lateralis) is a long cutaneous nerve of the lumbar plexus. The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve contains only sensory fibers.

The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve arises from the anterior divisions of the second and third lumbar (L2 - L3) ventral rami. It emerges at the lateral edge of the psoas major and crosses the iliacus on the right side. Then the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve pierces the abdominal wall near the anterior superior iliac spine, runs through the muscular lacuna, over the sartorius to the lateral region of the thigh and penetrates the fascia lata.

The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve innervates the skin of the lateral region of the thigh till the knee joint.