Common peroneal nerve palsy is one of the most frequently encountered nerve injuries. The reason for this is the superficial portion of the nerve as it curves around the head of the fibula where it is subject to direct trauma, pressure, or other injuries.

In acute stage, when clinical paralysis appears to be complete, electrophysiologic studies are useful guide to prognosis. In many of incomplete clinical recovery, the degree of recovery is dependent on rather EMG findings and motor nerve conduction velocities than clinical findings.

A retrospective analysis of clinical and electrophysiological findings of the 19 cases of common peroneal nerve palsy with follow up seen from January 1987 to August 1989 in the department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Chungnam National University Hospital was carried out.

The results of these studies were as follows:

1) Among the common peroneal nerve injuries, ones accompanied by trauma, especially fracture showed relatively poor clinical recovery and ones with compression or spontaneous onset showed better recovery.

2) The clinical recovery was relatively poor when the nerve conduction velocity distal to the fibular head was delayed or when the compound muscle action potential was not abtained over extensor digitorum brevis in the initial motor conduction studies.

3) The clinical recovery was relatively better when the initial sensory conduction studies showed normal sensory distal latency. While the recovery was worse when the sensory nerve action potential was absent or the amplitude was smaller than 50% of that of the non-paralyzed contralateral side.