Quick Facts
Origin: Union of the medial sural cutaneous nerve and the sural communicating branch of the common fibular nerve (L4-S2).
Course: Descends in the posterior compartment of the leg.
Branches: Lateral calcaneal branches and lateral dorsal cutaneous nerve.
Supply: Sensory innervation to the posterior leg and lateral aspects of the foot.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The sural nerve is formed by the union of the medial sural cutaneous nerve and the sural communicating branch of the common fibular nerve. This union may happen at variable levels in the posterior compartment of the leg.
Course
The sural nerve descends in the posterior compartment of the leg, lateral to the calcaneal tendon and near the small saphenous vein, towards the region of the lateral malleolus.
Branches
The sural nerve gives rise to the lateral calcaneal branches, which run to the posterolateral surface of the heel. The lateral dorsal cutaneous nerve is the terminal continuation of the sural nerve.
Supplied Structures
The sural nerve provides sensory innervation to the skin on the back of the leg and to the skin and joints on the lateral side of the ankle and foot.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Sural Nerve
The sural nerve is a cutaneous nerve formed by terminal branches from both the tibial (medial sural nerve) and common peroneal (lateral sural nerve) nerves that join together in the superficial aspect of the distal third of the leg.
