Current ACL reconstruction techniques are performed with little regard to cutaneous nerves despite the evidence that iatrogenic nerve injury often leads to painful neuromas, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, or anterior knee/kneeling pain which directly impacts patients whose profession requires kneeling (Cerulli et al. 2013; Ruffilli et al. 2016; Hurley et al. 2018). In this study, the femoral cutaneous and saphenous nerves from two embalmed lower extremities were dissected in exquisite detail to create topographic maps of the anterior thigh and knee, detailing the nerves' anatomical course and relationship to relevant landmarks. To further characterize the cutaneous innervation at the knee joint, ultrasound techniques to locate sensory nerves were also explored. In both specimens, all branches of the femoral cutaneous and saphenous nerves were located, dissected, and mapped. In addition, the ability to locate terminal branches of the anterior femoral cutaneous nerve in a cadaveric specimen on ultrasound was successfully demonstrated. However, due to the small sample size, further research implementing similar methods is necessary to ensure the results are representative of the population and can be applied to surgical innervation. These findings highlight the importance of considering cutaneous nerves in ACL reconstruction techniques to minimize the risk of iatrogenic nerve injury and associated complications.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/48115 |
| Date | 15 February 2024 |
| Creators | Capen, Tyler |
| Contributors | Shaffer, Kitt, Wisco, Jonathan |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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