Anatomy
Course
Originates from the tibial nerve just above the knee joint, between the heads of the gastrocnemius muscle. It descends superficially to the gastrocnemius muscle, and penetrates the deep fascia about halfway down the calf, to run subcutaneously. It continues down the leg, and passes around the lateral malleolus to continue to supply the foot.
Supply
The sural nerve provides sensory innervation to the skin on the lower half of the posterior aspect of the calf, as well as the lateral aspect of the foot and the little toe.
Clinical
The sural nerve block is often used to treat patients with trauma to the lower leg in the emergency room. This involves injecting anaesthetic near the nerve, between the posterior border of the lateral malleolus and the Achilles tendon, to numb the region of distribution of the sural nerve.
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