Posterior femoral cutaneous nerve sensory conduction study in a sample of apparently healthy Egyptian volunteers

Abstract

BackgroundPosterior femoral cutaneous nerve (posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh) is a sensory nerve arises from the sacral plexus. Its terminal part supplies the skin of the posterior surface of the thigh and popliteal fossa, and it extends for a variable length below the popliteal fossa till the mid-calf region. The aim was to assess the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve antidromic sensory conduction technique and estimate its different sensory nerve action potential parameters’ reference values in a sample of apparently healthy Egyptian participants. One hundred and twenty lower limbs of 60 apparently healthy Egyptian volunteers were included. Clinical evaluation and sensory conduction study for the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve were done.ResultsPosterior femoral cutaneous nerve sensory nerve action potential was elicited in 98 lower limbs (81.6%) of 52 individuals (86.7%). The obtained results of different parameters of posterior femoral cutaneous nerve sensory nerve action potential were as the following: onset latency (2.04 ± 0.21 ms), peak latency (2.86 ± 0.25 ms), conduction velocity (59.45 ± 6.36 m/s) and amplitude (6.16 ± 2.29 μV). No significant differences between the two genders were found regarding different parameters of posterior femoral cutaneous nerve sensory nerve action potential except for amplitude which was significantly larger among male participants (P = 0.030). No significant differences between the right and left lower limbs were found regarding different parameters of sensory nerve action potential. There was a statistical significant negative correlation between age and posterior femoral cutaneous nerve conduction velocity (P = 0.008). There was a statistical significant positive correlation between height and peak latency (P ≤ 0.0001), as well as, a statistical significant negative correlation between height and conduction velocity (P ≤ 0.0001). There was a statistical significant negative correlation between body mass index and posterior femoral cutaneous nerve peak latency (P = 0.008).ConclusionsThe research provides a reliable electrophysiological antidromic sensory conduction study for the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve and normal cut-off reference values for posterior femoral cutaneous nerve sensory nerve action potential parameters. This is essential for the evaluation of suspected posterior femoral cutaneous nerve lesions.