| Superior cluneal nerves | |
|---|---|
 Cutaneous nerves of the right lower extremity. Front and posterior views. (Posterior division of lumbar visible in yellow at top right.) | |
| Details | |
| From | dorsal rami of L1-L3 nerve roots |
| Innervates | upper buttocks |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nervi clunium superiores |
| TA98 | A14.2.05.006 |
| TA2 | 6493 |
| FMA | 75468 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The superior cluneal nerves are pure sensory nerves that innervate the skin of the upper part of the buttocks. They are the terminal ends of the L1-L3 spinal nerve dorsal rami lateral branches. They are one of three different types of cluneal nerves (the middle and inferior cluneal nerves being the other two). They travel inferiorly through multiple layers of muscles, then traverse osteofibrous tunnels between the thoracolumbar fascia and iliac crest.[1]
Dysfunction of the superior cluneal nerves is often due to entrapment as the nerves cross the iliac crest – this can result in numbness, tingling or pain in the low back and upper buttocks region. Superior cluneal nerve dysfunction is a clinical diagnosis that can be supported by diagnostic nerve blocks.[1]
The superior cluneal nerves were first described by Maigne et al. in 1989 as a source of low back pain.[2]
- ^ a b Waldman SD. Atlas of Uncommon Pain Syndromes. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders/Elsevier; 2014.
- ^ Maigne, J. Y.; Lazareth, J. P.; Surville, H. Guérin; Maigne, R. (1989). "The lateral cutaneous branches of the dorsal rami of the thoraco-lumbar junction". Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy. 11 (4): 289–293. doi:10.1007/BF02098698. PMID 2533408. S2CID 39158958.