title: Electrophysiological characteristics of the pediatric femoral nerve and their use in clinical diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the electrophysiological characteristics of the pediatric femoral nerve at different ages.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surface 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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We 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%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 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.
authors: Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing, China.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing, China; Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing, China. Electronic address: huyue915@163.com.
authors: Yue
authors: Y
authors: Hu
authors: Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing, China; Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing, China.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Jiang
authors: Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing, China.
authors: Xuefei
authors: X
authors: Zhong
authors: Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing, China.
authors: Jin
authors: J
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing, China.
authors: Na
authors: N
authors: Xu
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005267:Femoral Nerve / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: acute flaccid paralysis; injury; lower limb monoplegia; nerve conduction; pediatric femoral nerve