COMMON PERONEAL NERVE-COMPRESSION

SUMMARY

1. Peroneal nerve: L4, L5, S1, S2. Innervates the PERONEUS LONGUS AND BREVIS, responsible for eversion of the foot.

2. Tibial nerve: L4, L5, S1, S2, S3. Innervates the TIBIALIS POSTERIOR, responsible for inversion of the foot.

3. Typically occurs at the proximal head of the fibula, causing foot drop. Remember that L5 radiculopathy also causes foot drop.

4. Patients with peroneal neruopathy will not be able to evert the foot as only the PERONEUS LONGUS AND BREVIS are involved.

5. Patients with L5 radiculopathy will not be able to evert and invert the foot (as the lesion is higher up and PERONEUS LONGUS AND BREVIS, TIBIALIS POSTERIOR are involved).

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].