The Anatomy of the Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve, with Special Reference to the Harvesting of Iliac Bone Graft*

Autogenous bone graft is frequently obtained from the anterior part of the ilium; however, many studies have shown that the harvesting of autogenous iliac bone graft carries the risk of meralgia paresthetica2,4-6,8,9. Although the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve usually emerges from the lateral border of the psoas major muscle and crosses the ilium as it runs toward the anterior superior iliac spine, its course can vary1,3,7. We investigated the anatomy of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, particularly as it relates to the harvesting of autogenous anterior iliac bone graft. The position of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve was identified on both sides of the pelvis in 108 formalin-embalmed cadavera from Japanese individuals (sixty-four men and forty-four women) who had been sixty to ninety-seven years old at the time of death. Eleven of …