Quick Facts
Origin: Tibial nerve (L5-S2).
Course: Descends between the two heads of gastrocnemius muscle and pierces the deep fascia of the leg to become cutaneous.
Branches: Unites with sural communicating branch of the common fibular nerve to form the sural nerve proper.
Supply: Posterior and lateral skin of the leg and ankle.
Origin
The medial sural cutaneous nerve arises from the tibial nerve in the popliteal fossa.
Course
The medial sural cutaneous nerve descends between the two heads of gastrocnemius muscle and pierces the deep fascia proximally in the leg to become cutaneous. Here it is joined at a variable level by the sural communicating branch of the common fibular nerve.
Branches
The medial sural cutaneous nerve is joined at a variable level by the sural communicating branch of the common fibular nerve and, thus forms the sural nerve proper.
Supplied Structures
The medial sural cutaneous nerve provides sensory cutaneous innervation to the posterolateral skin of the leg and ankle.
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Medial Sural Cutaneous Nerve
The nerve is formed by the union of the medial sural cutaneous nerve, originating from the tibial nerve, and the peroneal communicating nerve, branching from the common peroneal nerve in the middle third of the leg.
