Surgical Tutorial – Superficial Peroneal Nerve Release in the Lower Leg. Symptoms of a compressed superficial peroneal nerve in the lower leg includes numbness and tingling in the dorsal aspect of the foot and lateral aspect of the lower leg. These symptoms can be exaggerated when the peroneal nerve is under tension during movements of the leg and foot. Compression of the superficial peroneal nerve occurs due to the transverse crural ligament and the tight superficial fascia that encapsulates he lower leg musculature. The superficial peroneal nerve has a course just deep to this superficial fascia and exits superficially distal to the transverse crural ligament. Release of this fascia and ligament will decompress the superficial peroneal nerve. Other known areas of peroneal nerve compression include the common peroneal nerve at the fibular head and the deep peroneal nerve in the foot by the extensor hallucis brevis.