It occurs when there is damage to the tibial nerve, one of the branches of the sciatic nerve of the leg. It supplies sensation to the bottom of the foot. Dysfunction of a single nerve group, such as the tibial nerve is classified as mononeuropathy .
Entrapment involves pressure on the nerve where it passes through a narrow structure.
Damage to the axon slows or prevents conduction of impulses through the nerve. The tibial nerve is commonly injured by fractures or other injury to the back of the knee or the lower leg. It may be damaged by pressure from lesions such as tumor , abscess , or bleeding into the knee. In some cases, no detectable cause can be identified. Prevention is variable depending on the cause of the nerve damage.