What is the Femoral Nerve?
The femoral nerve is located inside the leg and provides muscles that help the leg to bend and straighten. It also allows people to feel sensations within the front part of the thigh and a section of the lower leg. When a person loses sensation or movement in the leg, he or she suffers from femoral nerve dysfunction. Systemic disorders, or disorders affecting the entire body, can result in the damage of femoral nerves. A person can also suffer from damage to this nerve when he or she experiences direct trauma to the area. Prolonged nerve compression due to the presence of a tumor can often cause femoral nerve damage as well. Other situations can interfere with the proper function of femoral nerves. For example, this particular nerve can be damaged because of the insertion of a catheter in the femoral artery. A pelvic fracture or a disease that damages the nerves may negatively interfere with femoral nerves as well. Medical conditions such as polyarteritis nodosa or diabetes mellitus ca