The sural nerve, harvested as a graft and biopsied in peripheral neuropathy workup, is formed by the union of which two branches?

• A Medial sural cutaneous nerve and sural communicating branch of the common fibular nerve ✓
• B Saphenous nerve and medial sural cutaneous nerve
• C Superficial fibular nerve and sural communicating branch
• D Tibial nerve and deep fibular nerve terminal branches

Explanation

The sural nerve is a purely sensory nerve formed in the distal calf by union of the medial sural cutaneous branch of the tibial nerve with the sural communicating branch arising from the common fibular nerve. It descends behind the lateral malleolus with the small saphenous vein and supplies the posterolateral leg and lateral foot. The saphenous nerve is femoral and supplies the medial leg, while the superficial fibular nerve supplies the dorsum of the foot, so neither contributes to the sural nerve.

Reference: Gray's Anatomy for Students, 4th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.