Lower limb
Superficial fibular nerve (Superficial peroneal nerve)
Nervus fibularis superficialis (peroneus superficialis)
- Origin
- Lateral terminal branch of the common fibular nerve within the fibularis longus muscle
- Insertion
- Descends through the lateral leg compartment between fibularis muscles, pierces the deep fascia in the lower third of the leg, and divides into medial and intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerves across the foot dorsum
- Function
- Motor to fibularis longus and fibularis brevis (foot evertors); sensory to the lower anterolateral leg and the majority of the dorsal foot and digits
- Innervation
- Mixed sensorimotor nerve essential for dynamic lateral ankle stability and foot eversion
- Movement & chain
- Drives active foot eversion and pronation
- Palpation
- Palpable where it penetrates the crural fascia ~10-12 cm proximal to the lateral malleolus; highlighted by plantarflexion and inversion
- Clinical
- Superficial peroneal nerve entrapment at its fascial exit causing dorsal foot pain in runners; at high risk of iatrogenic injury during anterolateral ankle arthroscopy portal placement
- Segmental innervation
- L5, S1 spinal segments
- In clinical practice
- Careful transillumination and non-blind portal placement during ankle arthroscopy to avoid painful neuroma formation
- Region in the model
- Lower limb