Common Fibular Nerve (L4-S2)

Authors

Affiliations

Nathaniel Yomogida, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.S. in Kinesiology

Chloë Kerstein, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.A. in Neuroscience

Roots

L4, L5, S1, S2¹

Pathway

Motor innervation

Common Fibular n. Muscle Innervations
Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Innervation	Action
Biceps femoris short head	Lateral lip of Linea aspera¹ [Lateral lip of Linea aspera](/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/biceps_femoris_short_head.qmd#origin) [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020]	Fibular head¹ [Fibular head](/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/biceps_femoris_short_head.qmd#insertion) [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020]	Common Fibular n.¹ L5 - S2¹ [Common Fibular n.](/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/biceps_femoris_short_head.qmd#nerve) [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020] [L5](/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/biceps_femoris_short_head.qmd#nerve) - [S2](/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/biceps_femoris_short_head.qmd#nerve) [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020]	Knee [Flexion](/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/biceps_femoris_short_head.qmd#action) [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020] [ER](/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/biceps_femoris_short_head.qmd#action) [@gilroyAtlasAnatomy2020]

Direct Motor Innervation

Direct Innervation from the Sciatic Nerve
Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Nerve	Action
Biceps Femoris Short Head	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/biceps_femoris_short_head.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/biceps_femoris_short_head.html#insertion	?var:ref-biceps-femoris-short-head.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/biceps_femoris_short_head.html#action

Bicep femoris (short head)¹

Indirect Motor Innervation

Superficial Fibular Muscle Innervation
Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Nerve	Action
Fibularis Longus	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Lateral compartment/fibularis_longus_muscle.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Lateral compartment/fibularis_longus_muscle.html#insertion	?var:ref-fibularis-longus.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Lateral compartment/fibularis_longus_muscle.html#action
Fibularis Brevis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Lateral compartment/fibularis_brevis_muscle.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Lateral compartment/fibularis_brevis_muscle.html#insertion	?var:ref-fibularis-brevis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Lateral compartment/fibularis_brevis_muscle.html#action

Deep Fibular N. Muscle Innervation
Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Nerve	Action
Tibialis Anterior	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Anterior compartment/tibialis_anterior.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Anterior compartment/tibialis_anterior.html#insertion	?var:ref-tibialis-anterior.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Anterior compartment/tibialis_anterior.html#action
Extensor Hallucis Longus	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Anterior compartment/extensor_hallucis_longus_EHL.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Anterior compartment/extensor_hallucis_longus_EHL.html#insertion	?var:ref-extensor-hallucis-longus.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Anterior compartment/extensor_hallucis_longus_EHL.html#action
Extensor Digitorum Longus	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Anterior compartment/extensor_digitorum_longus_EDL.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Anterior compartment/extensor_digitorum_longus_EDL.html#insertion	?var:ref-extensor-digitorum-longus.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Anterior compartment/extensor_digitorum_longus_EDL.html#action
Fibularis Tertius	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Anterior compartment/fibularis_tertius.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Anterior compartment/fibularis_tertius.html#insertion	?var:ref-fibularis-tertius.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Anterior compartment/fibularis_tertius.html#action
Extensor Digitorum Brevis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/extensor_digitorum_brevis.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/extensor_digitorum_brevis.html#insertion	?var:ref-extensor-digitorum-brevis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/extensor_digitorum_brevis.html#action
Extensor Hallucis Brevis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/extensor_hallucis_brevis.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/extensor_hallucis_brevis.html#insertion	?var:ref-extensor-hallucis-brevis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/extensor_hallucis_brevis.html#action

Cutaneous Innervation

Common Fibular Nerve Cutaneous Distribution1 — Common Fibular Nerve Cutaneous Distribution¹

There is no direct cutaneous innervation from the common fibular nerve, but there is indirect cutaneous innervation through its branches¹.
- Sural nerve (shared common fib and tibial)

Dysfunction

Injury= foot drop

Notes

“The common fibular (peroneal) nerve is a component of the sciatic nerve as far as the upper part of the popliteal space. At the apex of the popliteal fossa, the common fibular (peroneal) nerve begins its independent course, descending along the posterior border of the biceps femoris, before traveling diagonally across the posterior aspect of the knee joint to the upper external portion of the leg near the head of the fibula. Sensory branches are given off in the popliteal space. These include the superior and inferior articular branches to the knee joint and the lateral sural cutaneous nerve. The latter nerve joins the medial calcaneal nerve (from the tibial nerve) to form the sural nerve, supplying the skin of the lower posterior aspect of the leg, the external malleolus, and the lateral side of the foot and fifth toe.1”²

“The common fibular (peroneal) nerve curves around the lateral aspect of the fibula toward the anterior aspect of the bone, before passing deep to the two heads of the fibularis (peroneus) longus muscle, where it divides into three terminal branches: the recurrent articular, and the superficial and deep fibular (peroneal) nerves. The recurrent articular nerve accompanies the anterior tibial recurrent artery, supplying branches to the proximal tibiofibular and knee joints, and a twig to the tibialis anterior muscle.”²

References

Gilroy AM, MacPherson BR, Wikenheiser JC, Voll MM, Wesker K, Schünke M, eds. Atlas of Anatomy. 4th ed. Thieme; 2020.

Dutton M. Dutton’s Orthopaedic Examination, Evaluation, and Intervention. 5th ed. McGraw Hill Education; 2020.

Citation

For attribution, please cite this work as:

Yomogida N, Kerstein C. Common Fibular Nerve (L4-S2). https://yomokerst.com/The Archive/Anatomy/Nerves/Lumbosacral Plexus/Sacral Plexus/common_fibular_nerve.html