PERONEAL NERVE. 



681 



(a) Muscular branches are given to the peroneus longus and peroneus brevis. 



(b) Cutaneous branches given off before the final division are distributed to the lower 

 part of the leg. 



(c) The internal branch 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 contiguous sides of the second and third toes. It gives other offsets, 

 which extend over the inner ankle and side of the foot. This nerve communicates 

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

 tibial nerve between the first and second toes. 



Fig. 450. 



Fig. 450. VIEW OF THE DISTRIBUTION OP THE 

 BRANCHES OP THE EXTERNAL POPLITEAL NERVE IN 

 THE FRONT OP THE LEG AND DORSUM OF THE FOOT 

 (from Hirschfeld and Leveille'). 



The upper part of the peroneus longus muscle has 

 been removed, the tibialis anticus, the long extensor of 

 the great toe and the peroneus longus have been drawn 

 separate in the leg by hooks marked a, 6, and c, and 

 the tendons of the extensor muscles have been removed 

 in the dorsum of the foot, to show the deeper seated 

 nerves ; 1, the external popliteal or peroneal nerve 

 winding round the other part of the fibula ; 1', its 

 recurrent articular branches exposed by the dissection 

 of the upper part of the tibialis anticus muscle ; 2, 2, 

 the musculo-cutaneous nerve ; 2', 2', twigs to the long 

 and short peroneal muscles ; 3, internal branch of the 

 musculo-cutaneous nerve ; 3', 3', its dorsal digital 

 branches to the inside of the great toe, and to the 

 adjacent sides of the second and third toes ; 4, the 

 external branch ; 4', 4', its dorsal digital branches to 

 the adjacent sides of the third and fourth toes, and in 

 part to the space between the fourth and fifth toes ; 

 5, the external saphenous nerve descending on the 

 outer border of the foot, and uniting at two places 

 with the outer branch of the musculo-cutaneous ; 5', 

 its branch to the outer side of the fifth toe ; 6, placed 

 on the upper part of the extensor communis digitorura, 

 marks the anterior tibial nerve passing beneath the 

 muscles ; 6, placed farther down on the tendon of the 

 tibialis anticus, points to the nerve as it crosses to 

 the inside of the anterior tibial artery ; 6', its muscular 

 branches in the leg ; 6", on the tendon of the extensor 

 longus pollicis points to the anterior tibial nerve after 

 it has passed into the foot behind that tendon ; 7, 

 its inner branch uniting with a twig of the musculo- 

 cutaneous, and giving the dorsal digital nerves to the 

 adjacent sides of the first and second toes; 8, distri- 

 bution of its outer branch to the extensor brevis dlgi- 

 torum and tarsal articulations. 



(d) The external branch, larger than the internal 

 one, descends over the foot towards the fourth toe, 

 which, together with the contiguous borders of the 

 third and fifth toes, it supplies with branches. 



Cutaneous nerves, derived from this branch, spread over the outer ankle and the 

 outer side of the foot, where they are connected with the short saphenous nerve. 



The dorsal digital nerves are continued on to the last phalanges of the toes. 



The number of toes supplied by each of the two divisions of the musculo-cuta- 

 neous nerve is liable to vary ; together these nerves commonly supply all the toes on 

 the dorsal aspect, excepting the outer side of the little toe, which receives a branch 

 from the short saphenous nerve, and the adjacent sides of the gre.it toe and the second 

 toe, to which the anterior tibial nerve is distributed : with this latter branch, how- 

 ever, it generally communicates. 



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