Anatomical study on the repair of femoral nerve injury with anterior branch of obturator nerve

Abstract

To investigate the feasibility of the anastomosis of the anterior branch of obturator nerve and the muscular branch of femoral nerve. Five fresh frozen cadavers, including 3 males and 2 females, were included. Both of the obturator nerve, femoral nerve and their branches were dissected, then their routes and anatomical positions were observed. The diameter and the number of myelinated nerve fiber of the anterior branch of obturator nerve and femoral nerve muscular branches were measured, as well as the overlap distance between them. The diameter of myelinated nerve fiber of the anterior branch of obturator nerve was (3.80±1.22) mm; the number of myelinated nerve fiber was 11 358±800. The diameters of the rectus femoris branch and the medial femoral branch were (1.60±0.54) mm and (2.20±0.66) mm, respectively; the number of myelinated nerve fiber were 4 961±655 and 6 666±466. Both the diameter and number of myelinated nerve fiber were close to the anterior branch of obturator nerve. The anterior branch of obturator nerve could be directly anastomosed with each nerve branch of femoral nerve in nontension, and the overlap distance was about 30 mm. It is feasible to repair the femoral nerve by transposed the anterior branch of obturator nerve and anastomosed with the femoral nerve muscular branches. And the rectus femoris branch and the medial femoral branch should be taken as the recipient nerve.