Preoperative ultrasound to map the three-dimensional anatomical distribution of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve in direct anterior approach for total hip arthroplasty.

LFCN mostly courses along the medial border of TFL in the fascia layer. The 3D distribution of LFCN using preoperative ultrasound mapping could help the surgeons to evaluate the risk of injury preoperatively and decrease the rate of injury during the operation. However, some branch injuries, especially for the fan type LFCN, could not be avoided.