Involvement of superficial peroneal sensory nerve in common peroneal neuropathy

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Muscle Nerve. 2005 Apr 1

Involvement of superficial peroneal sensory nerve in common peroneal

neuropathy.

Kang PB, Preston DC, Raynor EM.

Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, and Harvard Medical

School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Motor involvement in common peroneal neuropathy (CPN) frequently

shows a selective pattern with regard to deep and superficial

divisions of the peroneal nerve, by clinical examination and needle

electromyography. The involvement of the sensory branch of the

superficial peroneal nerve (SPN) has not been well established using

nerve conduction studies. Among 42 cases of electrophysiologically

defined CPN in 35 patients, 37 (88%) had clinical or

electrophysiologic evidence for SPN involvement, but only 20 had

diminished superficial peroneal sensory response (SPSR) amplitudes.

Many of the cases involving normal SPSRs had significant axonal loss

involving deep peroneal motor fibers. Sparing of the superficial

peroneal sensory fibers provides further evidence for the selective

vulnerability of different nerve fascicles to injury. This is an

important pattern to recognize; from a practical standpoint, focal

segmental conduction abnormalities in the motor nerve and EMG

findings can help to differentiate these lesions from L-5

radiculopathy.