Lower limb
Common fibular nerve (Common peroneal nerve)
Nervus fibularis communis (peroneus communis)
- Origin
- Lateral terminal branch of the sciatic nerve originating in the popliteal fossa (L4–S2)
- Insertion
- Follows the medial border of the biceps femoris tendon, winds closely around the neck of the fibula, and bifurcates within fibularis longus into superficial and deep fibular nerves
- Function
- Controls all ankle and toe dorsiflexion and foot eversion; sensory to lateral knee, anterolateral leg, and dorsal foot
- Innervation
- Mixed sensorimotor nerve essential for foot clearance during gait swing phase
- Movement & chain
- Tightly curves around the subcutaneous fibular neck
- Palpation
- Directly palpable against the bony surface of the fibular neck just inferior to the fibular head
- Clinical
- Foot drop (steppage gait: inability to dorsiflex and evert the foot, causing dragging of toes); most common lower limb entrapment/compression neuropathy (tight casts, prolonged crossed-leg sitting, fibular head trauma)
- Segmental innervation
- L4, L5, S1, S2 spinal roots
- In clinical practice
- Careful padding of the fibular head in casts and surgical positioning; prescription of Ankle-Foot Orthoses (AFO) and nerve exploration/decompression
- Region in the model
- Lower limb