G20 



NERVES OF THE LOUVER LIMB. 



Cutaneous nerves.— Tlie cutaneous branches, two or three in number, supply 

 the skin on the back part and outer side of the leg-. 



Fig. 379. 



Fig. 379. — Cutaneous Nerves of the 

 Outer Side of the Leo and Foot 

 (from Sappey after Hirscbfeld and 

 Leveille). I 



1, external popliteal nerve ; 2, its 

 external cutaneous branch ; 3, communi- 

 cating branch which unites with 4, that 

 from the internal popliteal, in 5, the ex- 

 ternal saphenous nerve ; 6, calcaneal 

 branch of the external saphenous ; 7, 

 external dorsal digital bi-anch to the fifth 

 toe ; 8, collateral dorsal digital branch 

 of the fourth and fifth toes ; 9, musculo- 

 cutaneous nerve ; 10, its cutaneous 

 branches ; 11, loop of union v\ith the 

 external saphenous ; 12, union between 

 its outer and inner branches ; 13, an- 

 terior tiliial nerve, shown by the removal 

 of a part of the miiscles, and giving 

 muscular branches superiorly ; 14, its 

 terminal liranch emerging iu the space 

 between the first and second toes, where 

 it gives the collateral doi'sal digital 

 branches to their adjacent .sides ; 15, 

 branches to the peronei muscles. 



The j)e>'oneaI conuininicating hranch 

 (r. communicans fibularis), which 

 joins the short so.phenous nerve below 

 the middle of the back of the leg-, is 

 the largest of these nerves. In some 

 instances, it continues a separate 

 branch and its cutaneous filaments 

 reach do^\^l to the heel or on to the 

 outside of the foot. 



Another cutaneous branch extends 

 along the outer side of the leg to 

 the middle or lower part, sending 

 offsets both backwards and for- 

 wards. 



Musculo-Oucaneous Nerve. — The musculo-cutaneous (peroneal) 

 nerve descends between the peronei muscles and the long extensor of 

 the toes, and readies the surface by perforating the fascia in the lower 

 part of the leg on the anterior aspect. It then divides into two branches, 

 distinguished as external and internal, Avhich proceed to the toes. The 

 two branches sometimes perforate the fascia at a different height. 



(rt) Mii-scvlar hranches are given to the peroneus longus and peroneus brevis. 



(Jj) Cutaneous hranches given off before the final division are distributed to the 

 lower part of the leg. 



{(■) The internal liranch of the musculo-cutaneous nerve, passing forwards 

 along the dorsum of the foot, furnishes one branch to the inner side of the great 

 toe. and others to the contigoious sides of the second and third toes. It gdves 

 other offsets, wdiich extend over the inner ankle and side of the foot. This nerve 

 copamunicates with the long saphenous nerve on the inner side of the foot, and 

 with the anterior tibial nerve between the first and second toes. 



