Nerve | Site of injury | Cause | Symptoms | Signs |
Common peroneal | Fibular neck, just below the knee | Prolonged lying, leg crossing, squatting, leg cast | Foot drop, paresthesias and/or sensory loss over dorsum of foot and lateral shin | Weakness on foot dorsiflexion and eversion; sensory loss on dorsum of foot; reflexes normal |
Deep peroneal | Ankle | Tight fitting shoe rim or strap | Ankle pain, minimal weakness and sensory loss over web space between digits 1 and 2 | Minimal |
Posterior tibial | Tarsal tunnel of ankle | Fracture or dislocation of talus, calcaneus, medial malleolus, rheumatoid arthritis, tumor | Aching, burning, numbness, tingling on sole of foot, distal foot, toes, and occasionally heel | Positive Tinel's sign over nerve posterior to medial malleolus; sensory loss on sole of foot; atrophy of foot muscles if severe |
Sciatic | Sciatic notch/gluteal region | Trauma (hip dislocation, fracture, or replacement), prolonged bed rest, deep-seated pelvic mass, piriformis syndrome | Leg pain and weakness affecting most lower leg muscles | Sensory loss in peroneal, tibial, and sural territories; may spare medial calf and arch of foot; normal knee jerk; absent ankle jerk |
Mid-thigh | Femur fracture, mass, ischemic nerve infarction | Similar to above but sparing hamstrings | Similar to above | |
Femoral | Pelvis and anterior thigh | Hip or pelvic fracture, hip replacement, lithotomy position, diabetes mellitus | Quadriceps weakness and sensory loss | Quadriceps weakness; sensory loss over anterior and medial thigh extending down medial shin to arch of foot; reduced or unobtainable knee jerk |
Lateral femoral cutaneous | Inguinal ligament (meralgia paresthetica) | Obesity, tight fitting belts, idiopathic | Paresthesias and pain radiating down the lateral thigh to knee | Sensory loss on lateral thigh |
Do you want to add Medilib to your home screen?