Title: Common Peroneal Nerve Release at the Fibular Head
 Published: 8/18/2011, Updated: 8/18/2011.
 Author(s): Andrew Yee BS, Susan E. Mackinnon MD. Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.

 

 Surgical Tutorial – Common Peroneal Nerve Release at the Fibular Head. Compression of the common peroneal nerve at the fibular head is under recognized. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling in the posterior and lateral aspect of the lower leg and dorsal aspect of the foot to foot drop in severe cases of denervation. Symptoms can be exaggerated when the peroneal nerve is under tension during knee extension. The compression point of the common peroneal nerve is just distal to the fibular head as it dives deep to the peroneus longus. This is where the posterior crural intermuscular septum deep to the peroneus longus is found to be the primary contributing factor for the compression symptoms. Release of the common peroneal nerve involves dividing this intermuscular septum in addition to other tendinous septum planes and the tendinous fascia deep to the peroneal nerve.