Synonyms
Peroneal nerve, fibular nerve
Introduction
The nervus peroneus, also called the fibular nerve, is responsible for the nervous supply of the fibula and emerges from the sciatic nerve together with the tibial nerve, which supplies the tibia.
Course of the peroneal nerve
The nervus peroneus originates from the sciatic nerve at the back of the thigh slightly above the hollow of the knee and then moves as a lateral branch behind the head of the fibula along to the fibularis box. In the hollow of the knee, the blood vessels of the knee are located in close proximity to the nerve. There it then divides into its branches, the nervus peroneus profundus and superfizialis.
The nervus peroneus profundus then leaves the fibular loge through the septum intermuscular anterius and thus changes to the extensor loge, where the extensor muscles of the lower leg and foot are located. The nerve runs parallel to blood vessels and, in its course, releases motor branches to the muscles of the extensor box and sensitive branches to the skin between the big toe and the second toe, where it ends. The nervus peroneus superficialis remains in the fibularis loge and runs parallel to the longus fibularis muscle and the brevis fibularis muscle, which it supplies with motor energy.
The nerve runs along the lateral lower leg without direct connection to the blood vessels and reaches the inner back of the foot via the outer ankle, which it supplies sensitively. The name of the nervus peroneus communis means “the common nerve of the fibula” and enables the foot and the outer lateral edge of the foot to be lifted and the toes to be stretched. Anatomically, the nervus peroneus communis denotes the first part of the nervus peroneus emerging from the sciatic nerve, which has not yet divided into its branches.
Branches of the nervus peroneus communis:
- Nervus cutaneus surae lateralis: is responsible for the nervous supply of the skin of the lower leg on the outer side and, to a certain extent, also on the back, and contributes a not inconsiderable part to the formation of the sural nerve.
- Nervus peroneus profundus
- Superficial peroneal nerve
The nervus peroneus profundus originates from the nervus peroneus communis. The nervus peroneus profundus is named after a deep-lying nerve. It runs in the loge of the extensor muscles of the lower leg, which lies approximately in front of the connective tissue plate between the tibia and fibula.
On its way to the back of the foot, it repeatedly releases smaller nerve branches to the muscles. It primarily supplies muscles that are responsible for lifting the foot and toes towards the shin. These muscles include:
- Musculus extensor hallucis brevis
- Musculus extensor digitorum brevis
- Musculus tibialis anterior (front tibial muscle)
- Musculus extensor hallucis longus
- Musculus extensor digitorum longus
The nervus peroneus superficialis also originates from the nervus peroneus communis.
It is a superficial nerve and runs along the side of the lower leg with reference to the foot extensor muscles to the outer back of the foot. It supplies the muscles of the fibularis group: It also supplies various sections of skin on the lower leg, especially the back of the foot.
- Musculus fibularis longus
- Musculus fibularis brevis
