Advanced Femoral Nerve Quiz

Q1. Why can an iliopsoas hematoma cause femoral neuropathy?

• The nerve lies inside the inferior vena cava
• The nerve traverses the renal pelvis
• The nerve can be compressed within the iliopsoas compartment
• The nerve lies within the rectus sheath

Q2. What combination is most characteristic of a substantial proximal femoral nerve lesion?

• Loss of thigh adduction with isolated medial thigh numbness
• Weak knee extension, reduced patellar reflex, and anterior thigh or medial leg sensory loss
• Weak hip extension with posterior thigh sensory loss
• Weak plantarflexion with absent Achilles reflex

Q3. Why can a lesion of the femoral nerve proximal to the inguinal ligament affect both thigh and leg sensation?

• The lesion occurs before both anterior cutaneous and saphenous branches arise
• All leg sensation travels through quadriceps
• The femoral nerve becomes the sciatic nerve
• The obturator nerve joins the femoral nerve below the ligament

Q4. How does the femoral nerve differ from the obturator nerve in the lumbar plexus?

• Femoral is L1 only, while obturator is S1 only
• Femoral arises from posterior divisions, while obturator arises from anterior divisions
• Femoral arises from dorsal rami, while obturator arises from ventral roots
• Femoral is autonomic, while obturator is somatic

Q5. Why is the femoral nerve at risk during procedures involving the iliacus or psoas region?

• It is enclosed by the rectus sheath
• It runs through the inguinal canal
• It runs between psoas major and iliacus in the operative region
• It lies inside the abdominal aorta

Q6. Why does a femoral nerve lesion usually impair knee extension more than thigh adduction?

• Quadriceps is femoral, while most adductors are obturator supplied
• The obturator nerve supplies quadriceps
• Both functions are supplied only by the sciatic nerve
• The femoral nerve supplies all adductors

Q7. Why can the patellar reflex be diminished after femoral nerve injury?

• The femoral nerve supplies only skin
• The reflex depends only on the tibial nerve
• The femoral nerve carries the afferent and efferent limbs of the quadriceps reflex arc
• The reflex is mediated by the vagus nerve

Q8. Why is the femoral nerve generally spared by pathology confined to the femoral canal?

• The femoral canal is located in the posterior thigh
• The nerve lies outside the femoral sheath and lateral to the femoral canal
• The nerve lies inside the femoral vein
• The nerve ends above the inguinal ligament

Q9. How can a proximal femoral nerve lesion be distinguished anatomically from an isolated saphenous nerve lesion?

• Both lesions always cause identical motor deficits
• Motor and reflex deficits indicate involvement proximal to the purely sensory saphenous branch
• Saphenous injury causes quadriceps paralysis
• Femoral injury affects only the medial foot

Q10. Which statement best integrates the anatomy of the femoral nerve?

• It is an L2 to L4 posterior-division nerve linking the lumbar plexus to anterior thigh motor function and anterior thigh and medial leg sensation
• It is an L1 sensory nerve confined to the inguinal canal
• It is an S1 to S3 nerve that enters the thigh through the greater sciatic foramen
• It is an autonomic nerve supplying only abdominal viscera