The deep peroneal nerve is the biggest of the two terminal branches of the common peroneal nerve

The deep peroneal nerve descends within the anterior crural compartment and supplies all the muscles of this compartment

It crosses in front of the ankle joint, giving an articular branch to the ankle joint, before the terminal branches innervate the dorsum of the foot, lateral to the dorsalis pedis artery

It innervates the skin of the interspace between the 1st and 2nd toes

It also innervates the digital extensor muscles and some of the tarsal and tarsometatarsal joints

The deep peroneal nerve supplies the skin of the cleft between the 1st and 2nd toes

The sural nerve innervates the skin of the lower lateral calf

The common peroneal nerve is the lateral of the two terminal branches of the sciatic nerve

From its origin in the popliteal fossa it descends infero-laterally just medial to the tendon of biceps femoris. It winds around the fibular neck and divides into its two terminal branches: The superficial peroneal nerve and the deep peroneal nerve

In the knee region, the common peroneal nerve gives the following branches before dividing into its terminal branches:

– Articular branches: The lateral genicular nerves
– The peroneal communicating nerve which joins the sural nerve from the tibial nerve
– The lateral cutaneous nerve of calf which arises within the popliteal fossa and supplies the skin over the upper part of the lateral part of the leg

The common peroneal nerve branches off the sciatic nerve and runs along the biceps femoris muscle tendon

The lateral cutaneous nerve of calf (also known as the lateral sural nerve) is a cutaneous branch of the common peroneal nerve

It arises near the neck of the fibula and supplies the skin over the lateral aspects of the leg just distal to the knee

A popliteal sciatic nerve block also blocks the lateral cutaneous nerve of the calf

The peroneal communicating nerve (also known as the sural communicating nerve) is a branch of the common peroneal nerve

It arises in the popliteal fossa and runs distally on the calf and joins the sural nerve in the subcutaneous fat

The medial plantar nerve innervates the medial part of the sole of the foot

The lateral plantar nerve innervates the lateral part of the sole of the foot

The medial calcanean branch of the tibial nerve innervates the skin of the heel

The sural nerve is a sensory branch of the tibial nerve

It arises within the popliteal fossa, runs distally between the two heads of gastrocnemius and pierces the deep fascia usually at the level of the upper calf

Here it is joined by the peroneal communicating nerve (a branch of the common peroneal nerve)

The sural nerve runs along the postero-lateral aspect of the leg, behind the lateral malleolus and along the lateral aspect of the foot

The sural nerve innervates the skin of the lower lateral calf, lateral border of the foot, and lateral side of the 5th toe