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L4 damage

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Motor signs: it is not possible by clinical examination to detect wasting or muscle weakness of all the muscles which are partially supplied by L4, but an obvious one is quadriceps femoris, which receives a large contribution from this root. Some wasting of quadriceps may be apparent. Also tibialis anterior and tibialis posterior both receive a significant contribution from L4, so that there may be some detectable weakness of inversion of the foot.

Sensory signs: some blunting of sensation over the antero-medial aspect of the shin may occur as far as the 'bunion' area of the foot (the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe).

Reflex jerks: because of the effect on the quadriceps muscle there may be loss of the knee jerk.

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