The sartorial nerve: its relationship to the medial aspect of the knee

When using the medial approach to the knee, as in repair of medial compartment structures, knowledge of the location of the sartorial nerve is important in order to avoid postoperative distress caused by division of this nerve. We studied the locations of the sartorial nerve in 23 cadavers, with particular reference to the relationship with the pes anserinus and the nerve's distance from the medial femoral epicondyle. The average distance between the sartorial nerve at its emergence and the central point of the medial femoral epicondyle was 34.02 mm, with a range of 20.7 to 49.8 mm on the right lower limb, and 33.27 mm, with a range of 20.0 to 49.2 mm, on the left lower limb.