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Glite Dictionary
nervus femoralis

nervus femoralis

8.0
A nerve in the front of the thigh that helps muscles move and gives feeling
  • noun
  • /ˈnɜrvəs ˌfɛmɔˈrælɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : nervio femoral
  • Surgeons must carefully identify the nervus femoralis during hip replacement procedures.

Examples

  • The nervus femoralis is vital for sensation in the anterior thigh region.

  • The nervus femoralis controls the movement of the quadriceps muscle.

  • Injury to the nervus femoralis can lead to difficulty in extending the knee.

  • Injuries to the nervus femoralis can lead to weakness in the thigh.

  • The nervus femoralis is responsible for innervating the quadriceps muscle in the thigh.

  • A dysfunction of the nervus femoralis can lead to weakness in the leg and difficulty in walking.

  • Surgeons must avoid damaging the nervus femoralis during hip replacement procedures to prevent complications.

Synonyms

femoral nerve
vsnervus femoralis
  • Specialized
5.3

A large bundle that carries messages from the lower spine to the front of the thigh

is an alternative name used interchangeably for the same thigh nerve
anterior crural nerve
vsnervus femoralis
  • Specialized
7.9

A large nerve that comes from the lower back and sends signals to the front thigh muscles and skin

is another name applied to the same nerve rather than a different structure

Surface Forms

nervus femoralis singular
nervi femorales plural

Morphology

nervus + femoralis

The phrase is a straightforward Latin noun + adjective naming pattern: 'nervus' corresponds to 'nerve' and 'femoralis' corresponds to 'femoral' (relating to the femur/thigh), so the meaning 'femoral nerve' is directly compositional. Anatomical terms follow this transparent Latinate pattern across many languages, so a learner who knows the constituent meanings can infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Nervus femoralis comes from Latin: nervus means 'nerve' and femoralis means 'of the thigh', from the word 'femur' meaning 'thigh bone'. So the name points to the nerve that runs to the front of the thigh, which is why it refers to the femoral nerve today.