Femoral nerve split with variant iliacus muscle: a potential source of femoral nerve entrapment

The iliacus muscle is a large, flat, triangle-shaped muscle located in the iliac fossa. This muscle forms part of the iliopsoas muscle complex. Although anatomical variations of iliacus muscles are rare, some variations are clinically important due to the possible coexistence of an unusual course of the femoral nerve. The femoral nerve is the largest branch of the lumbar plexus and supplies the muscles and skin in the anterior aspect of the thigh. We encountered a case of a single aberrant slip of the iliacus muscle piercing the femoral nerve in the left iliac fossa of a male cadaver aged 97 years. The potential clinical importance of this variant iliacus muscle accompanied by a femoral nerve split would be femoral neuropathy and possible consequent alterations of sensation in the anterior and medial aspects of the thigh or motor deficit of the quadriceps muscle.