Which nerve is most apt to be affected during an injection in the buttocks?

Which nerve is most apt to be affected during an injection in the buttocks?

• A. Sacral
• B. Sciatic
• C. Brachial
• D. Femoral

Answer: (B)

The sciatic nerve is the most apt to be affected by a buttock injection because it travels through the gluteal region, deep to the gluteus maximus, and runs down the posterior thigh. A mislocated injection can irritate or injure this large nerve, causing pain, numbness, or weakness along the leg. The other nerves listed aren’t in the typical path of a gluteal injection: the femoral nerve is in the anterior thigh, the brachial plexus is in the arm, and the sacral nerves are pelvic nerves not directly targeted by a gluteal injection. So the sciatic nerve is the one most at risk.

The sciatic nerve is the most apt to be affected by a buttock injection because it travels through the gluteal region, deep to the gluteus maximus, and runs down the posterior thigh. A mislocated injection can irritate or injure this large nerve, causing pain, numbness, or weakness along the leg. The other nerves listed aren’t in the typical path of a gluteal injection: the femoral nerve is in the anterior thigh, the brachial plexus is in the arm, and the sacral nerves are pelvic nerves not directly targeted by a gluteal injection. So the sciatic nerve is the one most at risk.