Which nerve is damaged in common peroneal neuropathy?

Which nerve is damaged in common peroneal neuropathy?

• A. Tibial nerve
• B. Sural nerve
• C. Common peroneal nerve
• D. Femoral nerve

Answer: (C)

The main idea is identifying the nerve affected by this pattern of symptoms. In common peroneal neuropathy, the nerve that bears the injury is the common peroneal nerve as it travels around the fibular neck and splits into the deep and superficial branches. This location makes it vulnerable to compression, leading to loss of dorsiflexion and toe extension (due to deep peroneal involvement) and weakness of foot eversion (due to superficial peroneal involvement). Sensation is reduced over the dorsum of the foot and the lateral leg. This specific motor-sensory pattern is distinct from injuries to other nerves: the tibial nerve would disrupt plantarflexion and intrinsic foot muscles with sole sensation loss; the sural nerve is purely sensory to the lateral/posterior foot area; the femoral nerve would affect hip flexion and knee extension. So the nerve damaged in this condition is the common peroneal nerve.

The main idea is identifying the nerve affected by this pattern of symptoms. In common peroneal neuropathy, the nerve that bears the injury is the common peroneal nerve as it travels around the fibular neck and splits into the deep and superficial branches. This location makes it vulnerable to compression, leading to loss of dorsiflexion and toe extension (due to deep peroneal involvement) and weakness of foot eversion (due to superficial peroneal involvement). Sensation is reduced over the dorsum of the foot and the lateral leg. This specific motor-sensory pattern is distinct from injuries to other nerves: the tibial nerve would disrupt plantarflexion and intrinsic foot muscles with sole sensation loss; the sural nerve is purely sensory to the lateral/posterior foot area; the femoral nerve would affect hip flexion and knee extension. So the nerve damaged in this condition is the common peroneal nerve.