The ilioinguinal nerve, smaller than the iliohypogastric nerve, arises with it from the first lumbar nerve.
It emerges from the lateral border of the psoas major just below the iliohypogastric, and, passing obliquely across the quadratus lumborum and iliacus, perforates the transversus abdominis, near the anterior part of the iliac crest, and communicates with the iliohypogastric nerve between the transversus and the obliquus internus.
The nerve then pierces the obliquus internus, distributing filaments to it, and, accompanying the spermatic cord through the superficial inguinal ring, is distributed to the skin of the upper and medial part of the thigh, and to the following locations in the male and female:
Note that the ilioinguinal nerve does not pass through the deep inguinal ring, and therefore it only travels through part of the inguinal canal.
Variations
The size of this nerve is in inverse proportion to that of the iliohypogastric.
Occasionally it is very small, and ends by joining the iliohypogastric; in such cases, a branch from the iliohypogastric takes the place of the ilioinguinal, or the latter nerve may be altogether absent.
Additional images
Deep and superficial dissection of the lumbar plexus.
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Cutaneous nerves of the right lower extremity. Front and posterior views.
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Cutaneous nerves of the right lower extremity. Front and posterior views.
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External links
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.
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