964 



NEUROLOGY 



The superficial branch (ramus superficialis) splits into a proper and a common 

 digital nerve; the proper digital nerve supplies the lateral side of the little toe, 



the Flexor digiti quinti brevis, and the two 

 Interossei of the fourth intermetatarsal space; 

 the common digital nerve communicates with 

 the third common digital branch of the medial 

 plantar nerve and divides into two proper 



Medial /^mSESZPir plantar digital nerves which supply the adjoining 



plantar lEm vAk A *''/![ 1 sides ot the fourth and J :th toes. 



Lateral 

 plantar 



Deep 

 branch 



FIG. 833. The plantar nerves. 



FIG. 834. Diagram of the segmental distribution of the 

 cutaneous nerves of the sole of the foot. 



The deep branch (ramus profundus; muscular branch) accompanies the lateral 

 plantar artery on the deep surface of the tendons of the Flexor muscles and the ' 

 Adductor hallucis, and supplies all the Interossei (except those in the fourth 

 metatarsal space), the second, third, and fourth Lumbricales, and the Adductor 

 hallucis. 



The Common Peroneal Nerve (n. peronceus communis; external popliteal nerve; 

 peroneal nerve) (Fig. 832), about one-half the size of the tibial, is derived from the 

 dorsal branches of the fourth and fifth lumbar and the first and second sacral 

 nerves. It descends obliquely along the lateral side of the popliteal fossa to the head 

 of the fibula, close to the medial margin of the Biceps femoris muscle. It lies 

 between the tendon of the Biceps femoris and lateral head of the Gastrocnemius 

 muscle, winds around the neck of the fibula, between the Peronseus longus and the 

 bone, and divides beneath the muscle into the superficial and deep peroneal nerves. 

 Previous to its division it gives off articular and lateral sural cutaneous nerves. 



The articular branches (rami articular es) are three in number; two of these accom- 

 pany the superior and inferior lateral genicular arteries to the knee; the upper one 

 occasionally arises from the trunk of the sciatic nerve. The third (recurrent} 

 articular nerve is given off at the point of division of the common peroneal nerve; 

 it ascends with the anterior recurrent tibial artery through the Tibialis anterior to 

 the front of the knee. 



The lateral sural cutaneous nerve (n. cutaneus surce. lateralis; lateral cutaneous 

 branch) supplies the skin on the posterior and lateral surfaces of the leg; one 

 branch, the peroneal anastomotic (n. communicans fibularis) , arises near the head 

 of the fibula, crosses the lateral head of the Gastrocnemius to the middle of the 



