M NEXUS INSIGHT
// education

What are the signs and symptoms of saphenous nerve entrapment?

By Sophia Carter

What are the signs and symptoms of saphenous nerve entrapment?

Signs and Symptoms of Saphenous Nerve Entrapment

  • pain on the inside/medial aspect of the knee.
  • pain/tightness on the back of the leg above the knee.
  • pain or tightness is often present with going upstairs.
  • there may be tightness, burning, tingling, or numbness into the lower leg.

What happens when the saphenous nerve is damaged?

Symptoms of saphenous nerve entrapment may include a deep thigh ache, knee pain, and paresthesias in the nerve’s cutaneous distribution in the leg and foot. The infrapatellar branch may become entrapped on its own because it passes through a separate foramen in the sartorius tendon.

What does saphenous nerve pain feel like?

Saphenous Nerve entrapment is described as pain on the inside of the thigh, knee, or calf. The pain is described as dull and achy pain and it may have a burning or electric type feel. Pressure on the inside of the knees will aggravate sensations such as having something resting on the persons lap.

How do you treat saphenous nerve entrapment?

Saphenous nerve entrapment in the adductor canal usually is treated conservatively by injecting an anesthetic (with or without a corticosteroid) at the point of maximal tenderness (usually 10 cm proximal to the medial femoral condyle). The injection may have to be repeated periodically.

How is saphenous nerve entrapment diagnosed?

Clinical criteria for the diagnosis of saphenous nerve entrapment neuropathy include pain in the distribution of the saphenous nerve, normal motor function, and tenderness to palpation over the entrapment site. Entrapment site tenderness is a key feature of saphenous nerve neuropathy.

What is Meralgia paresthesia?

Meralgia paresthetica is caused by the compression of one of the large sensory nerves in the leg — the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. This nerve provides sensation to the skin along the outer thigh starting from the inguinal ligament and extending down toward the knee.

What is saphenous neuropathy?

Saphenous neuritis is a painful condition caused by either irritation or compression at the adductor canal or elsewhere along the course of the saphenous nerve. The condition also may be associated with surgical or nonsurgical trauma to the nerve, especially at the medial or anterior aspect of the knee.

How is saphenous nerve diagnosed?

What causes superficial peroneal nerve entrapment?

CAUSES: Blunt trauma to the outer portion of the lower leg where the nerve exits the nerve becomes superficial. Ankle sprain causing tethering of the nerve against a tight ligament structure.

Does MRI show meralgia paresthetica?

Imaging studies. Although no specific changes are evident on X-ray if you have meralgia paresthetica, images of your hip and pelvic area might be helpful to exclude other conditions as a cause of your symptoms. If your doctor suspects a tumor could be causing your pain, he or she might order a CT scan or MRI.

Where does saphenous nerve get entrapped?

Saphenous nerve entrapment—The saphenous nerve is a cutaneous nerve that can become entrapped in the distal thigh as it passes through the adductor canal.