Femoral nerve

The **femoral nerve** is a major mixed nerve of the lower limb, supplying motor innervation to muscles such as the quadriceps femoris (primarily extending the knee) and hip flexors (including iliacus, pectineus, sartorius) and providing sensory innervation to the skin of the anterior thigh and medial leg, as well as articular branches to the hip and knee joints[1][5][7][9]. It originates from the lumbar plexus (nerve roots L2–L4)[1][5][9]. Clinically, it may be injured by trauma, surgery, compression, or metabolic diseases (e.g., diabetes), resulting in weakness, sensory loss, and functional impairment[8][3]. The femoral nerve is a commonly targeted structure for regional anesthesia (nerve block), but is not a *therapeutic molecular target* such as a receptor, enzyme, or transporter—it is an anatomical nerve, not a target for small molecule or biologic drugs in the conventional sense[4][5][9].

Other names

Nerveus femoralis (Latin)largest branch of lumbar plexusanterior crural nerve

Inhibition of nerve impulse conduction (when targeted by local anesthetics; conduction block)