Femoral nerve conduction in diabetes and chronic occlusive vascular disease.

Gassel (1963) devised a method for direct measurement of femoral nerve conduction and found this useful in differentiating neuritis of the femoral nerve from other causes of proximal neurogenic and muscular diseases. He discussed the relevant anatomy of the terminal motor fibres in the skeletal muscles, with particular reference to the quadriceps femoris muscle. He also described the theoretical considerations of measurement of the latency time and the initial response of the muscle action potential in relation to its distance from the end plate zone, and the significance of the positioning of the recording electrodes. In the present study a similar technique to Gassel's was used to measure the conduction time in the femoral nerve in patients with diabetes mellitus and in non-diabetic patients suffering from peripheral vascular disease. Such a study of femoral nerve conduction would also help to establish the site of nervous system involvement in patients with mainly motor signs and tendon reflex changes.