Ilioinguinal nerve

Ilioinguinal nerve
Plan of the lumbar plexus. The ilioinguinal is visible at the upper left.
The lumbar plexus and its branches. The ilioinguinal nerve is visible at the upper left.
Details
Fromlumbar plexus
InnervatesSkin over the root of the penis and upper part of the scrotum (male), skin covering the mons pubis and labium majus (female). Motor innervation of the transverse abdominus and obliques.
Identifiers
Latinnervus ilioinguinalis
TA98A14.2.07.006
TA26499
FMA16483
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The ilioinguinal nerve is a branch of the first lumbar nerve (L1). It separates from the first lumbar nerve along with the larger iliohypogastric nerve. It emerges from the lateral border of the psoas major just inferior to the iliohypogastric, and passes obliquely across the quadratus lumborum and iliacus. The ilioinguinal nerve then perforates the transversus abdominis near the anterior part of the iliac crest, and communicates with the iliohypogastric nerve between the transversus and the internal oblique muscle.

It then pierces the internal oblique muscle, distributing filaments to it, and then accompanies the spermatic cord (in males) or the round ligament of uterus (in females) through the superficial inguinal ring. Its fibres are then distributed to the skin of the upper and medial part of the thigh, and to the following locations in the male and female:

The ilioinguinal nerve does not pass through the deep inguinal ring, and thus only travels through part of the inguinal canal. It mediates the cremasteric reflex.