The Superficial Peroneal Nerve – Taking A Look At Its Anatomy And Surgical Relevance

The superficial peroneal nerve (SPN) is a department of the widespread peroneal nerve that gives motor provide to the lateral decrease leg compartment in addition to innervation of the foot and ankle.

Proof means that the anatomy of this nerve modifications dramatically over time, placing it in danger for iatrogenic harm.

The aim of this paper was to go over the anatomy of the SPN and the way it pertains to widespread orthopedic lower-limb procedures.

The widespread peroneal nerve is a superficial nerve that originates from the sciatic nerve and winds across the fibula neck from posterior to anterior. The deep and superficial peroneal nerves divide the nerve after that, with the latter often touring via the lateral compartment of the decrease leg.

Even at its origin, nonetheless, the SPN can have variations. The widespread peroneal nerve splits into deep and superficial branches proximal to the knee joint in ten % of legs, based on a cadaveric research. A separate cutaneous department emerged from the widespread peroneal trunk in 30% of specimens, a department that had by no means been acknowledged within the literature earlier than.

The identical authors went on to point out that when arthroscopically assisted inside-out lateral meniscus restore in recent frozen cadavers was carried out with no posterior retractor, the danger of injuring the peroneal nerve or one in all its branches was as excessive as 20%. Due to this anatomical variation, portal insertion ought to be executed posterolaterally with a scalpel solely to make the pores and skin incision, then blunt dissection to enter the knee joint.

The SPN offers sensory and motor innervation to the lateral compartment of the leg, together with the peroneus longus and peroneus brevis, under the knee joint. The SPN’s anatomy is ceaselessly mentioned in phrases of the decrease leg fasciae. All the muscular tissues within the decrease leg are encircled by the crural fascia. The intermuscular septum, which separates the anterior and lateral muscle compartments, is hooked up to the crural fascia laterally.

By piercing the crural fascia over the lateral compartment and working superficially over the extensor retinaculum of the ankle, the SPN tends to grow to be subcutaneous about midway down the decrease leg, supplying the foot.

The SPN has loads of anatomical variety, which might result in iatrogenic harm. The anatomy of the SPN on the degree of the tibial diaphysis was found in 4 alternative ways in a cadaveric research of 111 legs. The nerve was mostly discovered within the lateral compartment of the leg (69.4% of specimens); in 16.2% of circumstances, the SPN was divided into branches that traveled to each the lateral and anterior compartments; in 8.1% of circumstances, the SPN traveled solely inside the anterior compartment; and within the fourth group (6.3%), the SPN was found inside the intermuscular septum. The SPN exited into the anterior compartment reasonably than the lateral compartment in 14% of specimens in the same cadaveric research of 85 specimens. The nerve is split into branches to each the lateral and anterior compartments in one other 12% of the inhabitants.

The SPN turns into superficial when it crosses the distal fibula from posterior to anterior, roughly 11cm proximal to the fibula’s tip and often inside 6–12 cm of the lateral malleolus tip. To innervate the dorsum of the foot, the SPN or one in all its terminal branches crosses the ankle joint. In keeping with Blair and Botte’s cadaveric research of 25 legs, the SPN termination within the decrease leg will be categorized into three distinct patterns.

The most typical was Sort A (72%), through which the nerve penetrated the crural fascia to grow to be subcutaneous at a median distance of 12 cm proximal to the ankle joint, then break up into two terminal branches: a big medial dorsal cutaneous nerve (MDCN) and a smaller intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve (IDCN) at a median distance of 4 cm proximal to the ankle joint. The MDCN and IDCN within the mid-calf of the sort B sample (16%) arose independently from the SPN.

The IDCN pierced the crural fascia posterior to the fibula, crossing about 5 cm above the ankle joint anteriorly. Sort B patterns are thought-about to have a very excessive threat of harm throughout lateral malleolus fracture fixation. The IDCN penetrating the crural fascia anterior to the fibula a median of 5 cm above the ankle joint and persevering with distally in shut proximity to the anterior fibular border was present in Sort C patterns (12%). The MDCN pierced the crural fascia 7 cm above the ankle joint within the latter case.

The IDCN is absent in some circumstances (8.6%), inflicting the sural nerve to produce the dorsolateral a part of the foot reasonably than the SPN. The medial a part of the foot is equipped by the saphenous nerve or the deep peroneal nerve in lower than one % of circumstances the place the medial cutaneous department is absent.

Ankle fracture fixation, open ankle arthrodesis, and Brostrom-Gould restore for lateral ligament reconstruction all generally contain longitudinal incisions over the distal fibula lateral malleolus. Some surgeons use a single incision all the way down to the bone over the lateral malleolus, however this will injury the SPN if it pierces the deep fascia at a distal location.

The SPN can solely cross 3 cm proximal to the distal tip of the lateral malleolus, based on a research involving 85 cadaveric legs. For the IDCN department, which might cross the fibula inside 7 cm of the distal tip of the lateral malleolus, the Blair and Botte sort B patterns have a better threat of nerve harm.

Following the pores and skin incision over the lateral malleolus, it’s routinely really useful to search for the SPN or IDCN, in order that if the nerve is discovered, it may be transposed anteriorly and guarded earlier than deep dissection. The SPN or a terminal department can lie alongside the anterior border of the fibula, so centering the surgical incision over the posterior side of the malleolus reduces the danger of harm.

Fixing Weber C sort fibula fractures or performing a lateral fasciotomy for compartment syndrome might necessitate a extra proximal incision over the lateral decrease leg. We suggest utilizing a tourniquet for the latter in order that the SPN will be visualized and guarded, stopping additional co-morbidity.

The most typical facet impact of ankle arthroscopy is neurological harm. The superficial peroneal nerve was injured in 15 (2.5%) of 612 ankle arthroscopies, based on a research. All the nerve accidents had been brought on by direct contact with the portal or a pin distractor.

The MDCN was half-way between the lateral and medial malleoli, based on Blair and Botte, whereas the IDCN was one-third of the gap. The anterolateral portal ought to be positioned 2 mm lateral to the peroneus tertius tendon throughout ankle arthroscopy to keep away from harm to the SPN branches.

Peroneus tertius, however, is troublesome to diagnose clinically. In consequence, we suggest performing the fourth toe flexion signal with the foot plantarflexed and inverted earlier than surgical procedure to mark the course of the SPN on the ankle. This maneuver emphasizes the SPN’s branches’ subcutaneous course and has been discovered to be optimistic in 87% of individuals.

In keeping with cadaveric research, the SPN’s anatomy over the dorsum of the foot varies. The IDCN or the sural nerve will be injured throughout a surgical strategy to the subtalar joint that entails an incision from the tip of the fibula to the bottom of the fourth metatarsal. The deep and superficial peroneal nerves will be injured by dorsal approaches to the midfoot for arthrodesis or fracture fixation.

Canovas et al. discovered that the MDCN splits into three branches at a distance of 5 to twenty cm from the primary interdigital house. The MDCN innervates the pores and skin over the hallux with a big and constant dorsomedial department to the nice toe. The extensor hallucis longus tendon will be as shut as 6 mm from this department. Arthrodesis and cheilectomy have historically been carried out by way of a dorsomedial strategy to the primary metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. Such an strategy might trigger numbness or a painful neuroma by injuring the medial cutaneous department. All surgical procedure to the primary MTPJ ought to due to this fact be carried out by way of a medial or true dorsal strategy.

What Occurs If The Superficial Peroneal Nerve Is Broken?

Lowered sensation, numbness, or tingling within the high of the foot or the outer a part of the higher or decrease leg can happen when the nerve is injured and ends in dysfunction. Dropped foot (incapacity to elevate the foot). The “slapping” gait (a strolling sample through which every step makes a slapping sound) is a kind of strolling sample through which every step makes a slapping noise.

How Do You Deal with Superficial Peroneal Nerve Harm?

Orthotics, braces, and foot splints that match inside an individual’s shoe are examples of nonsurgical remedies that may assist. Bodily remedy and gait retraining can support within the particular person’s mobility. Peripheral nerve surgical procedure could also be required for sure accidents.

What Does The Superficial Peroneal Nerve Do?

The superficial peroneal nerve (superficial fibular nerve) is a blended nerve that runs from the anterolateral facet of the leg to the larger a part of the dorsum of the foot (aside from the primary net house).

Is Superficial Nerve Harm Everlasting?

The superficial fibular nerve (SFN) is the brand new title for the superficial peroneal nerve. Foot and ankle surgeons should establish and deal with entrapment of the SFN as a result of failure to take action may end up in everlasting nerve injury.

The SPN has extremely variable anatomy from its origin close to the knee to its terminal branches close to the dorsum of the foot, based on cadaveric research. In consequence, each foot and ankle surgeons and trauma surgeons want to pay attention to these variations. The next are the important thing anatomical places the place the nerve is at risk: 1) within the decrease leg (between 3 and 12 cm above the ankle joint); 2) over the distal fibula, the place the SPN or IDCN crosses from posterior to anterior; 3) over the anterolateral ankle joint, the place the SPN or its terminal branches lengthen to the foot; 4) over the primary MTP joint, which is constantly equipped by a medial dorsal cutaneous department.