Superficial Peroneal Nerve

Description

Running in the lateral compartment of the leg, the superficial fibular (peroneal) nerve descends deep to fibularis (peroneus) longus and brevis, then pierces the deep fascia in the distal third of the leg to become subcutaneous. Distally it divides into the medial and intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerves, which spread across the dorsum of the foot superficial to the extensor tendons and over the metatarsals and phalanges. The illustration logically includes the fibula laterally, the tarsal and metatarsal bones, dorsal interossei, and long extensor tendons (extensor hallucis longus, extensor digitorum longus), with accompanying superficial veins such as the dorsal venous arch and tributaries of the great saphenous vein. Mapping the superficial peroneal nerve matters because its sensory territory is a common exam and injury pattern: numbness or dysesthesia over the anterolateral distal leg and most of the dorsum of the foot, with relative sparing of the first dorsal web space (deep fibular nerve) and the lateral border of the foot (sural nerve). Entrapment where the nerve exits the fascia can produce pain with ankle inversion and plantarflexion, and it is also vulnerable during lateral ankle arthroscopy portal placement and during harvesting of split-thickness skin grafts over the distal leg. A useful landmark. The course also explains why isolated superficial peroneal neuropathy may spare ankle dorsiflexion strength while still affecting eversion through fibularis longus and brevis. Teaching teams can drop this plate into lower-limb anatomy blocks, neuroanatomy peripheral nerve labs, and EMG or sports-medicine materials that compare superficial versus deep peroneal sensory loss after ankle sprain or fibular fracture. It also supports patient-facing diagrams for dorsal foot numbness patterns and preoperative counseling for ankle and distal leg incisions. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.