• Ameet S Nagpal, Caroline Brennick, Annette P Occhialini, Jennifer Gabrielle Leet, Tyler Scott Clark, Omid B Rahimi, Kendall Hulk, Brittany Bickelhaupt, and Maxim S Eckmann.
• Departments of Anesthesiology, UT Health San Antonio Joe R. & Theresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
• Pain Med. 2021 May 21; 22 (5): 1072-1079.

ObjectiveRecent studies of hip anatomy have turned to the posterior hip capsule to better understand the anatomic location of the posterior capsular sensory branches and identify nerves with potential for neural blockade. Current literature has shown the posterior hip capsule is primarily supplied by branches from the sciatic nerve, nerve to quadratus femoris, and superior gluteal nerve (1, 2). This cadaveric study investigated the gross anatomy of the posterior hip, while also identifying potential targets for hip analgesia, with emphasis on the superior gluteal nerve and nerve to quadratus femoris.DesignCadaveric study.SettingUT Health San Antonio Anatomy Lab.MethodsIn total, 10 total cadavers (18 hips total), were posteriorly dissected identifying nerve to quadratus femoris, superior gluteal nerve, and sciatic nerve. Nerves were labeled with radio-opaque markers. Following the dissections, fluoroscopic images were obtained at sequential angles to identify neural anatomy and help expand anatomic knowledge for interventional pain procedures.ResultsThe posterior hip capsule was supplied by the sciatic nerve in 1/16 hips, the nerve to quadratus femoris in 15/18 hips, and the superior gluteal nerve in 6/18 hips.ConclusionsThe nerve to quadratus femoris reliably innervates the posterior hip joint. Both the sciatic nerve and superior gluteal nerve have small articular branches that may be involved in posterior hip innervation, but this is not seen commonly. The results of this study may elucidate novel therapeutic targets for treatment of chronic refractory hip pain (i.e., the nerve to quadratus femoris).© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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