The superficial fibular nerve (also known as superficial peroneal nerve) is a mixed (motor and sensory) nerve that provides motor innervation to the fibularis longus and fibularis brevis muscles, and sensory innervation to skin over the antero-lateral aspect of the leg along with the greater part of the dorsum of the foot (with the exception of the first web space, which is innervated by the deep fibular nerve).

Structure

Lateral side of the leg

The superficial fibular nerve is the main nerve of the lateral compartment of the leg. It begins at the lateral side of the neck of fibula, and runs through the fibularis longus and fibularis brevis muscles. In the middle third of the leg, it descends between the fibularis longus and fibularis brevis, and then reaches the anterior border of the fibularis brevis to enter the groove between the fibularis brevis and the extensor digitorum longus under the deep fascia of leg. It becomes superficial at the junction of upper two-thirds and lower one-thirds of the leg by piercing the deep fascia. The superficial fibular nerve gives off several branches in the leg. * Muscular branches to fibularis longus and fibularis brevis * Cutaneous branches supply the skin over the lower one-third of the lateral side of the leg and greater part of the dorsum of the foot except for areas that are supplied by the saphenous nerve (medial side of the leg), the

sural nerve The sural nerve ''(L4-S1)'' is generally considered a pure cutaneous nerve of the posterolateral leg to the lateral ankle. The sural nerve originates from a combination of either the sural communicating branch and medial sural cutaneous nerve, ...

(lateral side of the foot), the deep fibular nerve (first webbed space of the dorsum of the foot), the medial, and the

lateral plantar nerve The lateral plantar nerve (external plantar nerve) is a branch of the tibial nerve, in turn a branch of the sciatic nerve and supplies the skin of the fifth toe and lateral half of the fourth, as well as most of the deep muscles, its distribution ...

s (plantar surface of the foot).

Foot

At the junction between the upper two-thirds and lower one-thirds of the leg, the superficial fibular nerve is divided into medial dorsal cutaneous nerve (medial branch) and intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve (lateral branch). * The medial branch crosses the ankle and divides into two dorsal digital nerves—one for the medial side of the big toe, and the other for the adjoining sides of the second and third toes. * The lateral branch divides into two dorsal digital nerves for the adjoining sides of the third and fourth toes and the fourth and fifth toes. * Communicating branches: The medial branch communicates with saphenous nerve and the deep fibular nerve, while the lateral branch communicates with the

Distribution

The branches of the superficial fibular nerve supply the skin of the dorsal surfaces of all the toes excepting the lateral side of the little toe, and the adjoining sides of the great and second toes, the former being supplied by the lateral dorsal

cutaneous nerve A cutaneous nerve is a nerve that provides nerve supply to the skin. Human anatomy In human anatomy, cutaneous nerves are primarily responsible for providing cutaneous innervation, sensory innervation to the skin. In addition to sympathetic and ...

from the sural nerve, and the latter by the medial branch of the deep peroneal nerve. Frequently some of the lateral branches of the superficial fibular nerve are absent, and their places are then taken by branches of the

Clinical significance

Injury to the nerve can result in an inability to

evert Evert is a Dutch and Swedish short form of the Germanic masculine name "Everhard" (alternative Eberhard).Evert
at the

the foot and loss of sensation over the dorsum of the foot (with the exception of the first web space between the great toe and the second toe, where the deep fibular nerve innervates).

Additional images

File:Gray826and831.svg, Cutaneous nerves of the right lower extremity. Front and posterior views. File:Gray836.png, Nerves of the dorsum of the foot.

References

External links

* - "The Leg - Nerves" {{Authority control Nerves of the lower limb and lower torso