Common Peroneal Nerve (aka Common Fibular Nerve)

Abstract

The common peroneal nerve (also called common fibular nerve) is one of the two terminal branches of the sciatic nerve in the lower third of the thigh. It runs laterally, medial to the biceps femoris tendon, then posterior to the fibular head , and lateral to the fibular neck . It gives off the sural communicating branch (lateral sural cutaneous nerve ). This typically joins the contribution from the tibial nerve to form the sural nerve. The latter descends along the lateral aspect of the leg anterior to the Achilles tendon. The lateral dorsal cutaneous nerve is one of its terminal branches. The common peroneal nerve then divides into superficial peroneal , deep peroneal , and articular (recurrent genicular ) branches.