Quick Facts
Origin: Sciatic nerve (L4-S2).
Course: Winds around the neck of the fibula.
Branches: Recurrent articular branch, lateral sural cutaneous nerve and sural communicating branch, superficial and deep fibular nerves.
Supply: Short head of biceps femoris, knee and superior tibiofibular joints, tibialis anterior muscle.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
Typically, the common fibular nerve arises from the sciatic nerve in the distal thigh, just proximal to the popliteal fossa, and is derived from the posterior divisions of the anterior rami of the fourth lumbar to the second sacral spinal nerves. It is the smaller of the two branches of the sciatic nerve (the other branch being the tibial nerve).
Course
Following the bifurcation of the sciatic nerve, the common fibular nerve travels vertically down the thigh and enters the popliteal fossa. It winds around the neck of the fibula and enters the lateral compartment of the leg by passing between the two heads of the fibularis longus muscle. Here it splits into superficial and deep fibular nerves.
Branches
The common fibular nerve gives rise to the lateral sural cutaneous nerve and sural communicating branch as it passes through the popliteal fossa. It also supplies the knee joint via a recurrent articular branch. Its terminal branches are the superficial and deep fibular nerves.
Supplied Structures
As the fibular nerve passes through the thigh and is still incorporated into the sciatic nerve, it supplies the short head of biceps femoris muscle. It also supplies the knee and superior tibiofibular joints, and the anterior tibialis muscle.
List of Clinical Correlates
—Foot drop
