Entrapment neuropathy of the sural nerve.

Entrapment neuropathies have been known for many years. The larger peripheral nerve entrapment lesions such as that of the ulnar nerve at the elbow (Paget 1864), carpal tunnel syndrome (Learmonth 1933) and more recently tarsal tunnel syndrome (Keck 1962, Lam 1962) and the entrapment of the radial nerve in the persistent “tennis elbow” (Roles and Maudsley 1972) have all been described. Neuropathies from pressure of ganglia, as on the deep motor branch of the ulnar nerve (Seddon 1952) and on the lateral popliteal nerve (Parkes 1961), have been reported. Recently we have become aware of the condition of entrapment of the sural nerve at the lateral side of the ankle and foot. This condition has not to our knowledge been previously reported and we feel it worth while presenting four cases.