Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomyFunctionConditionsHow Do You Treat Superficial Peroneal Nerve Pain in the Foot?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy
Function
Conditions
How Do You Treat Superficial Peroneal Nerve Pain in the Foot?
The superficialperonealnerve is a nerve located in your lower leg. It is more commonly called the superficial fibular nerve. The superficial peroneal nerve contains both motor and sensory fibers, meaning it provides both motion and sensation.
The superficial peroneal nerve is one of the two last branches of thecommon peroneal nerve, which itself is a branch of thesciaticnerve. It supplies motion and sensation to the outside of the leg and the upper part of the foot.
This article discusses the anatomy, function, and structure of the superficial peroneal nerve. It also goes over some of the conditions that can affect this nerve.
Anatomy and Location of the Superficial Peroneal Nerve
The superficial peroneal nerve is one of two branches of the common peroneal nerve. The common peroneal nerve wraps around the outside of your knee to the front of your calf. Just below the knee, it divides into two terminal branches, the deep peroneal nerve and the superficial peroneal nerve.
Along with the tibial nerve, the common peroneal nerve is one of the two main branches of the sciatic nerve.
Most of the nerves in your bodybranch off from the spinal cord. The nerves that extend away from the spine and into the limbs are called peripheral nerves. As the peripheral nerves make their way through the limbs, they send off branches that connect to various tissues to provide them with motor function, sensory function, or both.
The sciatic nerve’srootsleave the spinal cord through the spaces between the vertebrae in thelumbarand sacral regions of the lower spine. The roots then combine into a single nerve (one on each side) and run down through the buttocks and the back of your thigh. The sciatic nerve divides into the tibial and common peroneal nerve in the back of your knee, called thepopliteal fossa.
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Structure
The superficial peroneal nerve sends off motor branches to the fibularis longus and fibularis brevis muscles and cutaneous (meaning of the skin) sensory branches to a portion of the lower leg. It then splits into two more cutaneous sensory branches:
Those are the terminal or last branches of the nerve.
Location
The superficial peroneal nerve starts at the neck of thefibula, which is the bone on the outside of your calf. From there, it runs down between thefibularismuscles and the outside of the extensordigitorum longusmuscle. That’s where it branches off to the muscles along the outside of the leg.
Continuing its journey down the leg, the superficial peroneal nerve provides sensation to the front and side portions of the lower leg.
Once the superficial peroneal nerve gets down toward the ankle, it goes through connective tissue called the deep crural fascia, which holds the tendons of the lower leg in place. That’s where it divides into the medial and intermediate dorsal cutaneous branches.
The Anatomy of Spinal Nerves
Function of the Superficial Peroneal Nerve
Early on in its journey, the superficial peroneal nerve plays a role in motor function of the muscles. Farther down, its role becomes purely sensory and cutaneous.
Motor Function
The superficial peroneal nerve controls these muscles:
These muscles work with thesubtalar jointjust below your ankle to allow you to rotate the tips of your feet outward. They also have some involvement with plantar flexion (pointing your toes), although this motion comes mostly from the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in the back of your calf.
Working with the deep peroneal nerve, the superficial branch may provide motor function to the extensordigitorumbrevis.
Sensory Function
Below the branches to the peroneus longus and brevis muscles, the superficial peroneal nerve becomes sensory only. The superficial peroneal nerve provides motor function toperoneous longusand brevis but also gives off sensory branches that provide feeling to the skin across the top of most of your feet.
The Anatomy of the Sciatic Nerve
Conditions Affecting the Superficial Peroneal Nerve
Superficial peroneal nerve damage and entrapment are both somewhat common.
Nerve Damage
What happens if the superficial peroneal nerve is damaged?
Symptoms of neuropathy (nerve damage) in the superficial peroneal nerve may include:
Neuropathy can be diagnosed using a variety of methods generally selected due to specific symptoms and suspected causes. Diagnostic methods include:
Nerve Entrapment
Superficial peroneal nerve entrapment can result from fascial swelling or dysfunction where the nerve runs through the deep crural fascia near the ankle, which can result from injury. Ankle sprains and twists can also lead to entrapment from the nerve becoming over-stretched.
Symptoms of entrapment include:
Understanding Abnormal Nerve Sensations
In cases of nerve damage or entrapment, the typical approach is to treat the underlying injury or disease. Other options include:
Over-the-counter pain medications may help ease the symptoms. If they don’t provide enough relief, your healthcare provider may prescribe other medications for nerve pain, including:
Treatment can vary depending on the underlying cause and specific cases. In cases of severe pain, you may want to see a pain specialist.
Surgery may be an option in cases where:
Summary
The superficial peroneal nerve runs down your calf to your ankle. It provides sneation to the front and side portions of the lower leg and the skin on the top of the foot. It also provides motor function to the foot and toes.
The superficial peroneal nerve can be damaged due to injury or a medical condition such as neuroma or diabetes. An injury can also cause entrapment of the superfiecial peroneal nerve.
3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Common peroneal nerve dysfunction.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Peripheral neuropathy fact sheet.Fortier LM, Markel M, Thomas BG, Sherman WF, Thomas BH, Kaye AD.An update on peroneal nerve entrapment and neuropathy.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2021;13(2):24937. doi:10.52965/001c.24937Additional ReadingKitamura T, Kim K, Morimoto D, et al.Dynamic factors involved in common peroneal nerve entrapment neuropathy.Acta Neruochir. 2017;159(9):1777-1781. doi:10.1007/s00701-017-3265-2.Neuromuscular Disease Center, Washington University.Common peroneal nerve.Ortho Bullets.Superficial peroneal nerve.TeachMeAnatomy.The superficial fibular nerve.
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Common peroneal nerve dysfunction.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Peripheral neuropathy fact sheet.Fortier LM, Markel M, Thomas BG, Sherman WF, Thomas BH, Kaye AD.An update on peroneal nerve entrapment and neuropathy.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2021;13(2):24937. doi:10.52965/001c.24937Additional ReadingKitamura T, Kim K, Morimoto D, et al.Dynamic factors involved in common peroneal nerve entrapment neuropathy.Acta Neruochir. 2017;159(9):1777-1781. doi:10.1007/s00701-017-3265-2.Neuromuscular Disease Center, Washington University.Common peroneal nerve.Ortho Bullets.Superficial peroneal nerve.TeachMeAnatomy.The superficial fibular nerve.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Library of Medicine.Common peroneal nerve dysfunction.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Peripheral neuropathy fact sheet.Fortier LM, Markel M, Thomas BG, Sherman WF, Thomas BH, Kaye AD.An update on peroneal nerve entrapment and neuropathy.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2021;13(2):24937. doi:10.52965/001c.24937
National Library of Medicine.Common peroneal nerve dysfunction.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Peripheral neuropathy fact sheet.
Fortier LM, Markel M, Thomas BG, Sherman WF, Thomas BH, Kaye AD.An update on peroneal nerve entrapment and neuropathy.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2021;13(2):24937. doi:10.52965/001c.24937
Kitamura T, Kim K, Morimoto D, et al.Dynamic factors involved in common peroneal nerve entrapment neuropathy.Acta Neruochir. 2017;159(9):1777-1781. doi:10.1007/s00701-017-3265-2.Neuromuscular Disease Center, Washington University.Common peroneal nerve.Ortho Bullets.Superficial peroneal nerve.TeachMeAnatomy.The superficial fibular nerve.
Kitamura T, Kim K, Morimoto D, et al.Dynamic factors involved in common peroneal nerve entrapment neuropathy.Acta Neruochir. 2017;159(9):1777-1781. doi:10.1007/s00701-017-3265-2.
Neuromuscular Disease Center, Washington University.Common peroneal nerve.
Ortho Bullets.Superficial peroneal nerve.
TeachMeAnatomy.The superficial fibular nerve.
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