It is generally accepted that the nerve conduction study is a valuable method in evaluation of peripheral neuropathy including entrapment syndrome. Meralgia paresthetica is a clinical benign entrapment neuropathy of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve of the thigh. It often occurs in association with obesity, pregnancy or diabetes, and may appear as a result of trauma to the pelvic bones or scarring in the lateral inguinal region. The diagnosis is usually based on clinical symptoms. This study is to establish the normal values of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve conduction velocity including latency, amplitude and duration of the evoked potential for the objective diagnostic aid.
In this study, 120 nerves were measured bilaterally in 60 healthy subjects, 39 males and 21 females, ranging in age from 16 to 67 years of age.
Nerve was stimulated at lcm medial to the anterior superior iliac spine by needle electrode and the action potential was recorded with surface electrodes 12 cm below the stimulating point with antidromic method.
The results are summarized as follows:
1. The mean conduction velocity of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is 47.96±4.81. M/sec.
2. The mean value of the latency to the peak of negative phase is 2.53±0.25 msec.
3. The amplitude of the action potential is 11.27±4.23 uV.
4. The mean value of the duration of the action potential is 1.09±0.39 msec.
5. No statistical variation is noted with advancing age in conduction velocity, latency, amplitude and duration of the evoked potential.
6. There are no significant differences related to sex and the side of the extremities examined.
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