Lower limb
Superior clunial nerves
Nervi clunium superiores
- Origin
- Arise from the lateral cutaneous branches of the posterior rami of lumbar spinal nerves L1, L2, L3
- Insertion
- Cross over the posterior iliac crest approximately 7-8 cm lateral to the midline and distribute across the upper gluteal skin
- Function
- Pure sensory supply to the skin of the upper and central buttock
- Innervation
- Pure sensory nerve (L1–L3)
- Movement & chain
- Fixed tightly across the rigid osseous rim of the iliac crest
- Palpation
- Tenderness on palpation over the posterior iliac crest at the nerve crossing points
- Clinical
- Superior clunial nerve entrapment syndrome (underdiagnosed etiology of low back and buttock pain exacerbated by lumbar extension/walking); mimics facet arthropathy
- Segmental innervation
- L1, L2, L3 posterior rami
- In clinical practice
- Diagnostic local nerve block over the iliac crest; manual physical therapy, trigger point release, and radiofrequency ablation for chronic pain
- Region in the model
- Lower limb