The peroneal nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve that runs down the leg. It is responsible for controlling the muscles that lift the foot and toes, as well as providing sensation to parts of the lower leg and the top of the foot. This nerve divides into two main branches: the superficial peroneal nerve and the deep peroneal nerve. The superficial branch mainly supplies sensation, while the deep branch controls muscle movement. Injury to the peroneal nerve can lead to conditions like foot drop, where a person has difficulty lifting the front of the foot.