Motor branches of the posterior division of the femoral nerve that supply vastus lateralis, entering the muscle at several points along its length. The lowest branches reach the oblique distal fibres of the muscle above the knee, which pull the patella laterally, and give a small articular twig to the knee joint.
| Origin | Posterior division of the femoral nerve (L3, L4) |
|---|---|
| Course | Runs laterally with the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery and enters the anterior border of vastus lateralis, giving a small articular branch to the knee |
| Motor |
The nerve to vastus lateralis is preserved in selective femoral nerve branches during lateral approach total hip arthroplasty and during hip fracture fixation. Its denervation produces lateral quadriceps wasting visible as loss of the lateral thigh muscle bulk. In high femoral nerve injuries, the motor branch to vastus lateralis may be the first to recover due to its proximal entry into the muscle.
Selective or combined femoral nerve branch injury producing lateral quadriceps atrophy and weakened knee extension, visible as loss of lateral thigh bulk and confirmed by EMG needle assessment of the VL belly.
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