The sciatic nerve passes under the buttocks and continues under the thigh and divides into two branches behind the knee: peroneal and tibial nerves. In peroneal nerve entrapment, the peroneal nerve passes through the upper part of the leg, just below the knee, down the front of the leg, and gets stuck in the groove where it passes on the leg, just below the knee. The peroneal nerve causes the ankle and big toe to pull towards you. At the same time, this nerve also provides sensation in the thumb and its surroundings.
Since the peroneal nerve is superficial in the knee region, the possibility of pressure and direct trauma is quite high, especially in this region. The peroneal nerve may be under pressure as a result of knee surgeries, casts, leg orthoses, high boots, tight socks, socks, and sitting with your legs crossed for a long time.
Weakness of the muscles called foot dorsiflexors, which enable the foot to rise above the ankle. It is characterized by. The patient has to drag his ankle while walking because he cannot keep it straight. There is also numbness on the foot surface. In acute events, motor involvement is more prominent than sensory. In more chronic events such as cysts and tumors, there is pain and slowly progressing motor and sensory disorders.
When this diagnosis is considered, an electromyography (EMG) test is performed on the patient. With this test, nerve conduction study of the nerve is performed and a result is obtained by measuring the change in the electrical activity in the nerve in the muscles.
In the peroneal nerve symptom, if the findings progress slowly and the person does something that will increase this phenomenon, this harmful habit should be stopped first. . If the complaints are not severe, the patient's complaints usually resolve spontaneously within a month. Anti-inflammatory medications may help short-term. Physical therapy and leg exercises may be helpful depending on the situation.
The most common surgery is the release of the peroneal nerve. It is usually done under local anesthesia. The patient is laid face down and an approximately 3 cm incision is made on the skin over the nerve just behind the knee and on the outer part of the leg. The sheath on the nerve causing the compression is cut and opened, and the nerve is relieved. It is an operation that requires a day hospital stay and the patient returns 4-5 hours after the surgery. He can go home. Generally, 1 day of bed rest is recommended.
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