Femoral nerve dysfunction

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Femoral nerve damage

Femoral nerve dysfunction

Alternative Names:

Neuropathy - femoral nerve
Symptoms:

Weakness of the knee or leg, including difficulty going up and down stairs -- especially down.
Sensation changes in the thigh, knee, or leg, such as decreased sensation, numbness, tingling, burning, a feeling of the knee "giving way," or (uncommonly) pain.

Signs and tests:

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A neuromuscular examination of the legs indicates femoral nerve dysfunction. There may be weakness on straightening the knee or bending at the hip. Sensation changes are located on the front upper thigh and inner calf. The knee jerk reflex may be abnormal. There may be atrophy (loss of muscle mass) of the quadriceps muscles of the front of the thigh.

Tests that reveal femoral nerve dysfunction may include:

An EMG (a recording of electrical activity in muscles)
Nerve conduction tests
An MRI to check for masses or lesions

Tests are given based on the suspected cause of the dysfunction suggested by the patient's history, symptoms, and pattern of symptom development. They may include various blood tests, x-rays, scans, or other tests.