Introduction: Athletes may experience compression of the superficial fibular nerve, which innervates the muscles of the lateral part of the leg and the skin on the lower lateral and anterior aspects of the leg and on the dorsal aspect of the foot. Compression occurs due to fascial defects, direct contusion, traction injuries (chronic ankle sprains) or compression from tightly fitting footwear. Prolonged compression results in delayed and incomplete recovery of function and may hinder return to sports. On the contrary, compression of the sural nerve, which provides sensation to the posterior and lateral aspects of the lower third of the leg, lateral ankle, lateral aspect of the foot and heel, is not common in athletes as the nerve runs more posteriorly. Purpose: The purpose of this diploma work was to determine if there is a difference in the conductivity of the superficial fibular nerve in healthy young adults with predominantly sedentary lifestyles compared to athletes who wear tight footwear. Methods: The study included 20 healthy young athletes (football players) and 23 healthy young adults with predominantly sedentary lifestyles with similar demographics. Electrophysiological measurements were performed on the superficial fibular and sural nerve on the right lower limb. Amplitude and latency were recorded with the electromyography device, and nerve conduction velocities were calculated. Results: The study demonstrated that amplitudes of the sural nerve of athletes are statistically significantly lower (p = 0.045) than those of non-athletes, while amplitudes of the superficial fibular nerve (p = 0.0641) and nerve conduction velocities of both the superficial fibular (p = 0.891) and sural nerve (p = 0.123) did not significantly differ between the groups. When comparing amplitudes and conduction velocities of both nerves within each group, only the amplitudes of the sural nerve of athletes were statistically significantly lower (p = 0.0064) than those of the superficial fibular nerve. Discussion and conclusion: Our results are within normative values, but athlete’s lower sural nerve amplitudes with normal conduction velocities may indicate asymptomatic neuropathies or adaptation to prolonged intense sports participation. We recommend more extensive research on the risks of developing peripheral neuropathy in athletes.
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