ABSTRACT
The sural nerve begins with its main component, the medial sural cutaneous nerve. This nerve branches from the tibial nerve in the popliteal fossa and runs distally between the two heads of the gastrocnemius muscles beneath the crural fascia. Coert and Dellon
noted that the lateral sural nerve and lateral cutaneous nerve of the calf pierce the deep fascia near the fibular head. Between the middle and distal thirds of the calf, the sural nerve pierces the fascia and runs distally near the small saphenous vein close to the Achilles tendon. It anastomoses at different levels with the communicating branch of the common peroneal nerve. The sural nerve arches behind the lateral malleolus to supply the ankle joint, the posterior calf, and the lateral side of the heel and foot out to the fifth toe, as the lateral dorsi pedis cutaneous nerve. As a cutaneous nerve, it lies superficial to the peroneus longus and brevis tendons.
