Fibular Nerve

Question 1

Sensory functions?

Answer 1

: Innervates the skin over the upper lateral and lower posterolateral leg. Also supplies (via branches) cutaneous innervation to the skin of the anterolateral leg, and the dorsum of the foot.

Sural communicating nerve: This nerve combines with a branch of the tibial nerve to form the sural nerve. The sural nerve innervates the skin over the lower posterolateral leg.

Lateral sural cutaneous neve: Innervates the skin over the upper lateral leg.

Question 2

The nerve begins at the apex of the popliteal fossa, where the sciatic nerve bifurcates into the tibial and common fibular nerves.

Answer 2

follows the medial border of the biceps femoris, running in a lateral and inferior direction, over the lateral head of the gastrocnemius. At this point, the nerve gives rise to two cutaneous branches, which contribute to the innervation of the skin of the leg.

To enter the lateral compartment of the leg, the nerve wraps around the neck of the fibula, passing between the attachments of the fibularis longus muscle. Here, the common fibular nerve terminates by dividing into the superficial fibular and deep fibular nerves.

Question 3

Injury?

Answer 3

If the common fibular nerve is damaged, the patient may lose the ability to dorsiflex and evert the foot, and extend the digits.