The common peroneal nerve is branch of the sciatic nerve, which supplies movement and sensation to the lower limb.
Page updated November 2023 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)
Injury to the common peroneal nerve
This nerve is in a very vulnerable position and may become damaged in knee injuries, during knee surgery or from plaster casts that are too tight. Injury at the level of the fibula may cause foot drop and/or numbness in the leg or foot.
Quick links
Forum discussions
- Any Peroneal Nerve recovery stories?
A long discussion about managing after peroneal nerve injury.
Peer-reviewed papers
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Quote:
"Significant trauma around the knee can also result in peroneal nerve injury due to the nerve’s proximity to the knee joint itself as well as its superficial location... Common peroneal nerve injuries are commonly encountered in athletes...Tinel sign is ...a reliable clinical sign to localize the area of nerve irritation or entrapment. The examiner performs the Tinel test by tapping along the course of the nerve....The prognosis for common peroneal nerve injury is good following end-to-end suture repair as well as grafting."
Citation: Lezak B, Massel DH, Varacallo M. Peroneal Nerve Injury. [Updated 2022 Nov 14]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549859/
Synonyms:
peroneal nerve
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