The surgical anatomy of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve in the inguinal region: a meta-analysis

PURPOSE: Several variations in the anatomy and injury of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) have been studied since 1885. The aim of our study was to analyze the available data on the LFCN and find a true prevalence to help in the planning and execution of surgical procedures in the area of the pelvis, namely inguinal hernia repair. METHODS: A search of the major medical databases was performed for LFCN anatomy. The anatomical data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-four studies (n = 1,720) were included. The most common pattern of the LFCN exiting the pelvis was medial to the Sartorius as a single branch. When it exited in this pattern, it did so on average 1.90 cm medial to the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS). CONCLUSIONS: The LFCN and its variations are important to consider especially during inguinal hernia repair, abdominoplasty, and iliac bone grafting. We suggest maintaining a distance of 3 cm or more from the ASIS when operating to prevent injury to the LFCN. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10029-016-1493-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.