The medial sural cutaneous nerve ''(L4-S3)'' is a
sensory nerve
A sensory nerve, or afferent nerve, is a general anatomic term for a nerve which contains predominantly somatic afferent nerve fibers. Afferent nerve fibers in a sensory nerve carry sensory information toward the central nervous system (CNS) fro ...
of the
leg. It supplies
cutaneous innervation
A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons) in the peripheral nervous system.
A nerve transmits electrical impulses. It is the basic unit of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the ...
the posteromedial leg.
Structure
The medial sural cutaneous nerve originates from the posterior aspect of the
tibial nerve of the
sciatic nerve
The sciatic nerve, also called the ischiadic nerve, is a large nerve in humans and other vertebrate animals which is the largest branch of the sacral plexus and runs alongside the hip joint and down the lower limb. It is the longest and widest ...
.
It descends between the two heads of the
gastrocnemius muscle.
Around the middle of the back of the
leg, it pierces the
deep fascia
Deep fascia (or investing fascia) is a fascia, a layer of dense connective tissue that can surround individual muscles and groups of muscles to separate into fascial compartments.
This fibrous connective tissue interpenetrates and surrounds the ...
to become superficial.
It unites with the
lateral sural cutaneous nerve to form the
sural nerve.
Morphometric properties
According to a large cadaveric study in which 208 sural nerves were dissected in their native position (b
Steele et al. the medial sural cutaneous nerve was consistently present in most lower extremities. This information aligns with other research as well. Only one sample in Steele et al. did not contain a medial sural cutaneous nerve.
The diameter (at the medial sural cutaneous nerve origin) is found to be 2.74mm ± 0.93 (2.62–2.86) in 207 samples
Two new variations(as of 2021) of the sural nerve complex were observed where the MSCN is observed to travel to the lateral ankle and provides the branches for the lateral calcaneal nerves of the lateral ankle. Normally the sural nerve serves this purpose.
Additional images
File:RobertSteele SuralNerve GraysMODified.png , Most common formation (type 1) of the sural nerve depicted in the popliteal fossa
File:sural nerve formation.jpg , Most common formation of the sural nerve by Steele et al.
File:Type 1-8 SN formation.jpg, 8 documented types of sural nerve formation
File:Gray826and831.PNG, Areas of skin sensation supplied by nerves in the leg.
File:Gray834.svg, Areas of skin supplied by nerves of the leg - the sural nerve supplies the lateral ankle.
File:Gray835.png, Deep nerves of the front of the leg.
File:Gray836.png, Course of nerves at the bottom of the foot.
References
External links
Referenced papers:
Steele et al. 208 sample cadaveric review 2021Ramakrishnan et al.systematic review on sural nerve formation 2015h2>
Anatomy web references
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Nerves of the lower limb and lower torso