Aim:We aimed to investigate in detail the innervation patterns of the psoas major and iliacus in fetal cadavers.
Material and Methods:The innervation patterns of 94 psoas major and 94 iliacus belonging to 47 fetuses (28 males, 19 females) aged between the 18th-40th gestational weeks in the laboratory of the Department of Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine were examined. The nerve branches innervating the psoas major and iliacus and the origin levels of these branches were determined. The branches innervating the psoas major and iliacus were classified as L1, L1-L2 level, L2, L2-L3 level, L3, L3-L4 level, L4 and femoral nerve according to the levels at which they originate from the spinal nerves.
Results:It was determined that the psoas major was innervated by the ventral branches of the L1-L4 spinal nerves and the femoral nerve. It was observed that the iliacus was innervated only by the femoral nerve. The mean number of branches innervating each psoas major and iliacus was determined as 4.69±2.02 and 3.07±1.14 respectively. It was observed that the branches innervating the psoas major originated at least at the level between the L1-2 spinal nerves and most at the level between the L2-3 spinal nerves.
Conclusion:The spinal nerves innervating the psoas major are at risk of injury during lateral transpsoas surgery, lateral discectomy, and spinal fusion surgery. Therefore, it may be useful for surgeons to know the innervation patterns of the psoas major in surgical interventions to be performed in this region. Furthermore, it will be useful for surgeons to know the innervation of the iliacus in various surgical interventions on the iliac fossa.
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