Anatomy of the Lower Limb Nerves
摘要
Introduction: The anatomy of the lower limb nerves is of great relevance to the health professional who manages compressive neuropathies. Objectives: This chapter describes the anatomy of the sciatic, femoral, genitofemoral, sural, tibial, common peroneal, deep peroneal, superficial peroneal, lateral femoral cutaneous, and obturator nerves. Discussion: The sciatic nerve (SN) divides into the common peroneal nerve (CPN) and tibial nerve (TN) at the thigh. The CPN gives rise to the deep peroneal nerve (DPN), responsible for foot dorsiflexion and toe extension muscles, and the superficial peroneal nerve (SPN), which innervates the dorsum of the foot. The TN innervates several lower limb muscles and branches into the calcaneal, medial, and lateral plantar nerves. The femoral nerve (FN) innervates the quadriceps femoris muscle and provides sensory input to the thigh and knee. The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) and sural nerve (SRN) are purely sensory, with the LFCN supplying the lateral thigh and the SRN aiding in nerve graft procedures. Other nerves, including the genitofemoral, obturator, and ilioinguinal, have specific sensory and motor functions. Conclusion: The peroneal nerve tunnel at the level of the fibula neck, the posterior tarsal tunnel, and the anterior tarsal tunnel are relevant from a of view clinical point.