word-forming element meaning 1. after, behind, 2. changed, altered, 3. higher, beyond; from Greek meta (prep.) in the midst of, in common with, by means of, in pursuit or quest of, from PIE *me-in the middle (cf. German mit, Gothic miÃ¾, Old English miÃ° with, together with, among; see mid).
There are a number of reasons you may have numbness in the thigh. The most common cause of thigh numbness without other symptoms is compression or irritation of the nerve that supplies the skin of the upper, outside part of the thigh, called the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve.
Numbness in the thigh, a case study, part 4. Entrapment of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, diagnosed medically as Meralgia Paresthetica, has been poorly understood. Obesity, pregnancy, ill-fitting clothing are implicated, citing mechanical compression of the nerve as the cause.