Spinal nerve root
L2
Muscle contributions
Follow the branches from the spine toward their muscle targets. These are parallel pathways, not a chain in which one muscle innervates the next. Most muscles receive more than one root.
Dorsal ramus · near the spine
- Multifidus (regional fascicles, medial branch)
- Longissimus (regional fascicles, intermediate branch)
- Iliocostalis (regional fascicles, lateral branch)
Direct anterior-ramus branches
- Quadratus lumborum
- Psoas major
Genitofemoral → genital branch
- Cremaster
Femoral nerve · pelvis and thigh
- Iliacus
- Pectineus
- Sartorius
- Rectus femoris
- Vastus lateralis
- Vastus intermedius
- Vastus medialis
- Articularis genus
Obturator nerve · medial thigh
- Adductor longus
- Adductor brevis
- Adductor magnus (adductor portion)
- Gracilis
Root contributions and variation
Pectineus may have additional obturator or accessory obturator supply. These alternate routes do not mean every root of those nerves contributes. Regional back fascicles overlap; individual root contributions are variable.