Lateral dorsal cutaneous nerve

Lateral dorsal cutaneous nerve
Diagram of the segmental distribution of the cutaneous nerves of the sole of the foot.
Cutaneous nerves of the right lower extremity. Front and posterior views.
Details
Fromsural nerve
Identifiers
Latinnervus cutaneus dorsalis lateralis
TA98A14.2.07.063
TA26587
FMA44694
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The lateral dorsal cutaneous nerve is the continuation/terminal sensory branch of the sural nerve, and is ultimately derived from the 1st sacral nerve (S1). It passes distally along the lateral part of the dorsum of foot. It gives rise to the lateral dorsal digital nerve of the 5th toe, and sometimes also the medial dorsal digital nerve of the 5th toe as well as the lateral dorsal digital nerve of the 4th toe[1] (thus replacing branches of the intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve[2]).

Anatomy

Origin

The sural branch becomes the lateral dorsal cutaneous nerve as it winds around[1]/underneath[3] the lateral malleolus.[1][3]

Anastomoses

It anastomoses with the intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve.[1]

Clinical significance

The course of this nerve influences the surgical approach to fixation of fractures of the fifth metatarsal, as the most direct surgical approach is at risk of damaging it.[4]

Additional images

  • Cutaneous nerves of the right lower extremity. Front and posterior views.
    Cutaneous nerves of the right lower extremity. Front and posterior views.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "nerf cutané dorsal latéral l.m. - Dictionnaire médical de l'Académie de Médecine". www.academie-medecine.fr. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  2. ^ "nerf cutané dorsal intermédiaire l.m. - Dictionnaire médical de l'Académie de Médecine". www.academie-medecine.fr. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  3. ^ a b Steele, Robert (November 2021). "Anatomy of the sural nerve complex: Unaccounted anatomic variations and morphometric data". Annals of Anatomy. 238: 151742. doi:10.1016/j.aanat.2021.151742. PMID 33932499.
  4. ^ Fansa, AM; Smyth, NA; Murawski, CD; Kennedy, JG (August 2012). "The lateral dorsal cutaneous branch of the sural nerve: clinical importance of the surgical approach to proximal fifth metatarsal fracture fixation". The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 40 (8): 1895–8. doi:10.1177/0363546512448320. PMID 22679294. S2CID 40289788.
Stub icon

This neuroanatomy article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.