The perforating cutaneous nerve is a
cutaneous nerve A cutaneous nerve is a nerve that provides nerve supply to the skin.
Human anatomy
In human anatomy, cutaneous nerves are primarily responsible for providing sensory innervation to the skin. In addition to sympathetic and autonomic afferent (s ...
that supplies
skin
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...
over the
gluteus maximus muscle
The gluteal muscles, often called glutes are a group of three muscles which make up the gluteal region commonly known as the buttocks: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The three muscles originate from the ilium and sacr ...
.
Structure
The perforating cutaneous nerve arises from the
ventral rami
The ventral ramus (pl. ''rami'') (Latin for ''branch'') is the anterior division of a spinal nerve. The ventral rami supply the antero-lateral parts of the trunk and the limbs. They are mainly larger than the dorsal rami.
Shortly after a spinal ...
of
and
sacral spinel nerve 3 of the
sacral plexus
In human anatomy, the sacral plexus is a nerve plexus which provides motor and sensory nerves for the posterior thigh, most of the lower leg and foot, and part of the pelvis. It is part of the lumbosacral plexus and emerges from the lumbar verte ...
.
It pierces the lower part of the
sacrotuberous ligament.
It winds around the inferior border of the
gluteus maximus muscle
The gluteal muscles, often called glutes are a group of three muscles which make up the gluteal region commonly known as the buttocks: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The three muscles originate from the ilium and sacr ...
.
Variation
The perforating cutaneous nerve may arise from the
pudendal nerve
The pudendal nerve is the main nerve of the perineum. It carries sensation from the external genitalia of both sexes and the skin around the anus and perineum, as well as the motor supply to various pelvic muscles, including the male or fem ...
.
It may be absent.
It is estimated to be absent in up to a third of people. It may be replaced by a branch from the
posterior cutaneous nerve of thigh.
It may also be replaced by a branch from the third and fourth, or fourth and fifth, sacral nerves.
The perforating cutaneous may pass around the
sacrotuberous ligament (beneath
gluteus maximus muscle
The gluteal muscles, often called glutes are a group of three muscles which make up the gluteal region commonly known as the buttocks: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. The three muscles originate from the ilium and sacr ...
) rather than piercing it.
Function
The perforating cutaneous nerve supplies the
skin
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...
covering the medial and lower parts of
gluteus maximus.
See also
*
Sacral plexus
In human anatomy, the sacral plexus is a nerve plexus which provides motor and sensory nerves for the posterior thigh, most of the lower leg and foot, and part of the pelvis. It is part of the lumbosacral plexus and emerges from the lumbar verte ...
References
External links
Nerves of the lower limb and lower torso
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