Electrophysiological Characteristics of the Pediatric Femoral Nerve and Their Use in Clinical Diagnosis

ObjectiveTo explore the electrophysiological characteristics of the pediatric femoral nerve at different ages.MethodsSurface electrodes were used to detect femoral nerve conduction in 163 healthy children aged 0-14 years recruited to this study and divided into six age groups. Based on the range of normal values obtained, the diagnosis of 22 patients with suspected femoral nerve injury was confirmed.ResultsWe obtained normal values for pediatric femoral nerve motor and sensory conduction in all age groups, including proximal and distal compound muscle action potential latencies, proximal compound muscle action potential amplitude and duration, motor conduction velocity, F-wave latency, and sensory conduction velocity. We measured proximal compound muscle action potential in all children in all age groups. The manifestation of femoral nerve injury in the 22 patients was primarily a clear decrease or absence of compound muscle action potential amplitude or a lengthened latency. Electromyographs revealed that 104 muscle parts were involved in the nerve function, in which 59 parts were found to be abnormal (56.73%).ConclusionsThe development of pediatric femoral nerve mainly began after 1 years old and continued to 14 years old. The proximal latency and compound muscle action potential amplitude of the pediatric femoral nerve have clinical value. Detection of the femoral nerve is important in the diagnosis of lower limb monoplegia, especially for acute flaccid paralysis associated with nonpolio enterovirus infection.