The deep fibular nerve (also known as deep peroneal nerve) begins at the bifurcation of the
common fibular nerve between the
fibula and upper part of the
fibularis longus, passes infero-medially, deep to the
extensor digitorum longus, to the anterior surface of the
interosseous membrane, and comes into relation with the
anterior tibial artery above the middle of the leg; it then descends with the artery to the front of the
ankle-joint, where it divides into a ''
lateral
Lateral is a geometric term of location which may also refer to:
Biology and healthcare
* Lateral (anatomy), a term of location meaning "towards the side"
* Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle, an intrinsic muscle of the larynx
* Lateral release ( ...
'' and a ''
medial terminal branch''.
Structure
Lateral side of the leg
The deep fibular nerve is the nerve of the anterior compartment of the leg and the dorsum of the foot. It is one of the terminal branches of the
common fibular nerve. It corresponds to the
posterior interosseus nerve of the forearm. It begins at the lateral side of the fibula bone, and then enters the anterior compartment by piercing the anterior intermuscular septum. It then pierces the
extensor digitorum longus and lies next to the
anterior tibial artery, following the course of the artery until the
ankle-joint where the nerve divides into medial and lateral terminal branches. In the leg, the deep fibular nerve divides into several branches:
* Muscular branches: Supplies four muscles in the leg:
tibialis anterior,
extensor hallucis longus,
extensor digitorum longus, and
fibularis tertius
Foot
Close to the ankle joint, the deep fibular nerve terminates by dividing into medial and lateral terminal branches.
* Medial terminal branch: This nerve accompanies the
dorsalis pedis artery
In human anatomy, the dorsalis pedis artery (dorsal artery of foot) is a blood vessel of the lower limb. It arises from the anterior tibial artery, and ends at the first intermetatarsal space (as the first dorsal metatarsal artery and the deep pla ...
along the dorsum of the foot, and, at the first interosseous space, divides into two
dorsal digital nerves which supply the adjacent sides of the great and second toes,
communicating with the
medial dorsal cutaneous branch of the superficial fibular nerve. Before it divides it gives off to the first space an interosseous branch which supplies the
metatarsophalangeal joint
The metatarsophalangeal joints (MTP joints) are the joints between the metatarsal bones of the foot and the proximal bones (proximal phalanges) of the toes. They are analogous to the knuckles of the hand, and are consequently known as toe knuckles ...
of the great toe and sends a filament to the first
Interosseous dorsalis muscle.
* Lateral terminal branch - This nerve passes across the
tarsus, beneath the
extensor digitorum brevis, supplying latter. This nerve ends in a pseudoganglion deep to the extensor digitorum brevis.
From the pseudoganglion, three minute branches are given off to supply the
tarsal joints and the
metatarsophalangeal
The metatarsophalangeal joints (MTP joints) are the joints between the metatarsal bones of the foot and the proximal bones (proximal phalanges) of the toes. They are analogous to the knuckles of the hand, and are consequently known as toe knuck ...
joints of the second, third, and fourth toes.
Function
In the leg, the deep fibular nerve supplies muscular branches to the anterior compartment of extensor muscles in the leg which include the
tibialis anterior,
extensor digitorum longus,
fibularis tertius, and
extensor hallucis longus (propius), and an articular branch to the
ankle-joint. After its bifurcation past the ankle joint, the lateral branch of the deep fibular nerve innervates the
extensor digitorum brevis and the
extensor hallucis brevis, while the medial branch goes on to provide cutaneous innervation to the webbing between the first and second toes.
Clinical significance
Damage to the deep fibular nerve, as is possible with traumatic injury to the lateral knee, results in
foot drop. The deep fibular nerve is also subject to injury resulting from lower motor neuron disease, diabetes, ischemia, and infectious or inflammatory conditions. Injury to the common fibular nerve is the most common isolated mononeuropathy of the lower extremity and produces sensory problems on the lateral lower leg in addition to foot drop.
Additional images
File:Gray440 color.png, Cross-section through middle of leg.
File:Gray825and830.PNG, Cutaneous nerves of the right lower extremity, anterior and posterior views.
File:Gray826and831.svg, Cutaneous nerves of the right lower extremity, anterior and posterior views.
File:Gray835.png, Deep nerves of the front of the leg.
File:Gray836.png, Nerves of the dorsum of the foot.
File:Slide1RRRR.JPG, Deep fibular nerve
References
External links
* - "The Foot: Nerves"
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Nerves of the lower limb and lower torso