Tibial Nerve Anatomy
An interactive guide to the branches and innervation of the tibial nerve.
Muscular Branches (Leg)
Motor Innervation
- Gastrocnemius: Plantarflexes ankle, flexes knee.
- Soleus: Plantarflexes ankle.
- Plantaris: Weak plantarflexion and knee flexion.
- Popliteus: Unlocks knee by lateral rotation of femur.
- Tibialis Posterior: Inverts and plantarflexes foot.
- Flexor Digitorum Longus: Flexes lateral four toes.
- Flexor Hallucis Longus: Flexes the great toe.
Medial Sural Cutaneous Nerve
Sensory Innervation
This nerve joins the sural communicating branch from the common fibular nerve to form the Sural Nerve.
- Skin on the lower posterolateral surface of the leg.
- Lateral side of the foot and little toe.
Medial Calcaneal Nerve
Sensory Innervation
- Skin on the medial surface and sole of the heel.
Medial Plantar Nerve
Motor Innervation
- Abductor Hallucis: Abducts and flexes great toe.
- Flexor Digitorum Brevis: Flexes lateral four toes.
- Flexor Hallucis Brevis: Flexes great toe's proximal phalanx.
- First Lumbrical: Flexes metatarsophalangeal joint of the second digit.
Sensory Innervation
- Plantar surface of the medial three and a half digits.
- Associated area of the sole.
Lateral Plantar Nerve
Motor Innervation
- All intrinsic foot muscles except those supplied by the medial plantar nerve.
Sensory Innervation
- Plantar surface of the lateral one and a half digits.
- Associated area of the sole.
