common fibular (peroneal) nerve; lateral popliteal nerve

Origin

• tibial nerve (branch of sciatic nerve)

Course

• one of the terminal divisions of the sciatic nerve, branching from the tibial nerve at the upper end of the popliteal fossa.
• it passes in the lateral part of the popliteal fossa with the tendon to the biceps femoris, then winds around the neck of the fibula & branches into the superficial peroneal nerve & deep peroneal nerve

Branches

• superficial fibular (peroneal) nerve
• deep fibular (peroneal) nerve

Pathology

Injury:

• loss of ability to dorsiflex the foot (foot drop)
• along with its deep branch, a commonly injured nerve due to its location in the lateral subcutaneous space at the fibular head

More general terms

• peripheral nerve

Additional terms

• deep fibular (peroneal) nerve
• superficial fibular (peroneal) nerve