Variations In Origin Of Iliohypogastric Nerve And Its Clinical Implications - A Cross Sectional Observational Study

Introduction: Iliohypogastric nerve, one of the branches of lumbar plexus supplies the anterior abdominal wall muscles. It is prone to injury during surgeries like hysterectomy and appendectomy. Hence a sound knowledge of the variations in origin of iliohypogastric nerve is important for surgeons to prevent iatrogenic injury. Aim: The present study aims at documenting the variations in origin of iliohypogastric nerve from lumbar nerve roots and its clinical significance. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on fifty (50) specimens by dissecting twenty five (25) embalmed adult human cadavers of South Indian population out of which 20 were male & 5 were female cadavers. The study was conducted by dissection method in the Department of Anatomy in Sri Siddhartha Medical College, Tumkur and Sri Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, T Begur, Bangalore Rural. Results: Out of the 50 specimens, variations in iliohypogastric nerve were observed in 13 specimens. The variations encountered were absence of Iliohypogastric nerve in 2 specimens and origin of Iliohypogastric nerve from ventral ramus of T12 spinal nerve in 11 specimens. Conclusions: Knowledge of relevant regional anatomy is essential in localising neurological lesions of nerves, preventing surgical injures and iatrogenic anaesthetic complications.