A patient develops lateral compartment syndrome of the leg following a fibular neck fracture. Which nerve is most vulnerable as it winds around the neck of the fibula, and what is the precise sensory loss pattern if it is injured?

• A Superficial peroneal nerve; sole of the foot and plantar surface
• B Deep peroneal nerve; entire dorsal foot sensory loss with intact eversion
• C Common peroneal (fibular) nerve; dorsum of foot and lateral leg below knee, with foot drop ✓
• D Tibial nerve; loss of plantar flexion and sole sensation

Explanation

The common peroneal (fibular) nerve wraps around the posterolateral aspect of the fibular neck, making it extremely vulnerable to direct trauma or compression here. Its injury causes foot drop (loss of dorsiflexion by deep peroneal branch) and inability to evert the foot (loss of peroneus longus and brevis by superficial peroneal branch), with sensory loss over the dorsum of the foot and the lateral aspect of the leg below the knee. The tibial nerve is deep in the popliteal fossa and protected; its injury causes loss of plantarflexion and loss of sensation on the sole.

Reference: BD Chaurasia's Human Anatomy, 8th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.