The infrapatellar branch of saphenous nerve is a
nerve
A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons) in the peripheral nervous system.
A nerve transmits electrical impulses. It is the basic unit of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the e ...
of the lower limb.
The saphenous nerve, located about the middle of the thigh, gives off a branch which joins the
subsartorial plexus
The subsartorial plexus is a plexus of nerves that is located under the sartorius muscle.
Structure
The subsartorial plexus is formed by:
# the medial cutaneous nerve of the thigh (a branch of the femoral nerve).{{Citation, last=Gardner, first= ...
.
It pierces the
sartorius and
fascia lata, and is distributed to the skin in front of the
patella
The patella, also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in many tetrapods, such as m ...
.
This nerve communicates above the knee with the anterior cutaneous branches of the
femoral nerve
The femoral nerve is a nerve in the thigh that supplies skin on the upper thigh and inner leg, and the muscles that extend the knee.
Structure
The femoral nerve is the major nerve supplying the anterior compartment of the thigh. It is the largest ...
; below the knee, with other branches of the saphenous; and, on the lateral side of the joint, with branches of the
lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, forming a plexiform net-work, the
plexus patellae.
The infrapatellar branch is occasionally small, and ends by joining the anterior cutaneous branches of the femoral, which supply its place in front of the knee.
References
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Nerves of the lower limb and lower torso
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