Nerves of the Legs and Feet
Nerve: Anterior femoral cutaneous
Origin: Femoral nerve
Course: Arises in femoral triangle, fasciae latae of thigh along path of sartorius muscle
Innervation: Skin on medial and anterior aspects of thigh
Nerve: Calcaneal branches
Origin: Tibial and sacral nerves
Course: Passes from distal part of posterior aspect of leg to skin on heel
Innervation: Skin of heel
Nerve: Common fibular
Origin: Terminal branch of sciatic nerve
Course: Begins at apex of popliteal fossa; follows medial border of biceps femoris muscle to posterior aspect of head of fibula; bifurcates into superficial and deep fibular nerves
Innervation: Skin on lateral part of posterior aspect of leg; knee join via articular branch; short head of biceps femoris
Nerve: Common plantar digital
Origin: Medial and lateral plantar nerves
Course: Runs anteriorly in sole of foot between flexor tendons; bifurcates in distal sole
Innervation: Proper plantar digital nerves; skin and joints of plantar and distal dorsal aspect of toes
Nerve: Deep fibular
Origin: Common fibular nerve
Course: Arises between fibularis longus and neck of fibula; extensor digitorum longus; extensor retinaculum; distal end of tibia; enters dorsum of foot
Innervation: Muscles of anterior compartment of leg, dorsum of foot; skin of first interdigital cleft; sends articular branches to the joints it crosses
Nerve: Femoral
Origin: Lumbar plexus
Course: Passes deep to midpoint of inguinal ligament; lateral to femoral vessels, divides into muscular and cutaneous branches
Innervation: Anterior thigh muscles; hip and knee joints; skin on anteromedial side of thigh and leg
Nerve: Lateral plantar
Origin: Smaller terminal branch of tibial nerve
Course: Passes laterally in foot between quadratus plantae, flexor digitorum brevis muscles, divides into superficial and deep branches
Innervation: Quadratus plantae, abductor digiti minimi, flexor digiti minimi brevis; plantar and dorsal interossei, lateral three lumbricals, adductor hallucis; skin on sole, lateral to a line splitting 4th digit
Nerve: Medial cutaneous nerve of leg
Origin: Saphenous nerve
Course: Descends medial side of leg with greater saphenous vein
Innervation: Skin of anteromedial side of leg and medial side of foot
Nerve: Medial dorsal cutaneous nerve
Origin: Superficial fibular nerve
Course: Descends across ankle anteriorly running onto medial aspect of dorsum of foot
Innervation: Most of skin of dorsum of foot, proximal portion of toes, except for web between great and 2nd toes
Nerve: Medial plantar
Origin: Terminal branch of the tibial nerve
Course: Passes distally in foot between abductor hallucis and flexor digitorum brevis; divides into muscular and cutaneous branches
Innervation: Abductor hallucis, flexor digitorum brevis, flexor hallucis brevis and first lumbrical; skin of medial side of sole of foot and sides of first three digits
Nerve: Saphenous
Origin: Femoral nerve
Course: Descends with femoral vessels through femoral triangle and adductor canal, descends with great saphenous vein
Innervation: Skin on medial side of leg and foot
Nerve: Superficial fibular
Origin: Common fibular nerve
Course: Arises between fibularis longus and neck of fibula, descends in lateral compartment of leg; deep fascia a distal third of leg, becomes cutaneous and send branches to foot and digits
Innervation: Fibularis longus and brevis; skin on distal third of anterior surface of leg, dorsum of foot and all digits except lateral side of 5th and adjoining sides of 1st and 2nd digits
Nerve: Sural
Origin: Arises from medial and lateral sural cutaneous nerves
Course: Descends head of gastrocnemius, becomes superficial at middle of leg; descends with small saphenous vein, passes posterior to lateral malleolus to lateral side of foot
Innervation: Skin on posterior and lateral aspects of leg and lateral side of foot
Nerve: Tibial
Origin: Sciatic nerve
Course: Forms as sciatic, bifurcates at apex of popliteal fossa; descends through same, lies on popliteus; runs inferiorly on tibilalis posterior wit posterior tibial vessels; terminates beneath flexor retinaculum, dividing into medial and lateral plantar nerves
Innervation: Muscles of posterior compartment of thigh; popliteal fossa, posterior compartment of leg, sole of foot; knee joint, skin of leg, sole of foot
Origin: Femoral nerve
Course: Arises in femoral triangle, fasciae latae of thigh along path of sartorius muscle
Innervation: Skin on medial and anterior aspects of thigh
Nerve: Calcaneal branches
Origin: Tibial and sacral nerves
Course: Passes from distal part of posterior aspect of leg to skin on heel
Innervation: Skin of heel
Nerve: Common fibular
Origin: Terminal branch of sciatic nerve
Course: Begins at apex of popliteal fossa; follows medial border of biceps femoris muscle to posterior aspect of head of fibula; bifurcates into superficial and deep fibular nerves
Innervation: Skin on lateral part of posterior aspect of leg; knee join via articular branch; short head of biceps femoris
Nerve: Common plantar digital
Origin: Medial and lateral plantar nerves
Course: Runs anteriorly in sole of foot between flexor tendons; bifurcates in distal sole
Innervation: Proper plantar digital nerves; skin and joints of plantar and distal dorsal aspect of toes
Nerve: Deep fibular
Origin: Common fibular nerve
Course: Arises between fibularis longus and neck of fibula; extensor digitorum longus; extensor retinaculum; distal end of tibia; enters dorsum of foot
Innervation: Muscles of anterior compartment of leg, dorsum of foot; skin of first interdigital cleft; sends articular branches to the joints it crosses
Nerve: Femoral
Origin: Lumbar plexus
Course: Passes deep to midpoint of inguinal ligament; lateral to femoral vessels, divides into muscular and cutaneous branches
Innervation: Anterior thigh muscles; hip and knee joints; skin on anteromedial side of thigh and leg
Nerve: Lateral plantar
Origin: Smaller terminal branch of tibial nerve
Course: Passes laterally in foot between quadratus plantae, flexor digitorum brevis muscles, divides into superficial and deep branches
Innervation: Quadratus plantae, abductor digiti minimi, flexor digiti minimi brevis; plantar and dorsal interossei, lateral three lumbricals, adductor hallucis; skin on sole, lateral to a line splitting 4th digit
Nerve: Medial cutaneous nerve of leg
Origin: Saphenous nerve
Course: Descends medial side of leg with greater saphenous vein
Innervation: Skin of anteromedial side of leg and medial side of foot
Nerve: Medial dorsal cutaneous nerve
Origin: Superficial fibular nerve
Course: Descends across ankle anteriorly running onto medial aspect of dorsum of foot
Innervation: Most of skin of dorsum of foot, proximal portion of toes, except for web between great and 2nd toes
Nerve: Medial plantar
Origin: Terminal branch of the tibial nerve
Course: Passes distally in foot between abductor hallucis and flexor digitorum brevis; divides into muscular and cutaneous branches
Innervation: Abductor hallucis, flexor digitorum brevis, flexor hallucis brevis and first lumbrical; skin of medial side of sole of foot and sides of first three digits
Nerve: Saphenous
Origin: Femoral nerve
Course: Descends with femoral vessels through femoral triangle and adductor canal, descends with great saphenous vein
Innervation: Skin on medial side of leg and foot
Nerve: Superficial fibular
Origin: Common fibular nerve
Course: Arises between fibularis longus and neck of fibula, descends in lateral compartment of leg; deep fascia a distal third of leg, becomes cutaneous and send branches to foot and digits
Innervation: Fibularis longus and brevis; skin on distal third of anterior surface of leg, dorsum of foot and all digits except lateral side of 5th and adjoining sides of 1st and 2nd digits
Nerve: Sural
Origin: Arises from medial and lateral sural cutaneous nerves
Course: Descends head of gastrocnemius, becomes superficial at middle of leg; descends with small saphenous vein, passes posterior to lateral malleolus to lateral side of foot
Innervation: Skin on posterior and lateral aspects of leg and lateral side of foot
Nerve: Tibial
Origin: Sciatic nerve
Course: Forms as sciatic, bifurcates at apex of popliteal fossa; descends through same, lies on popliteus; runs inferiorly on tibilalis posterior wit posterior tibial vessels; terminates beneath flexor retinaculum, dividing into medial and lateral plantar nerves
Innervation: Muscles of posterior compartment of thigh; popliteal fossa, posterior compartment of leg, sole of foot; knee joint, skin of leg, sole of foot