Plantar nerve

Pair of nerves innervating the sole of the foot

Diagram of the segmental distribution of the cutaneous nerves of the sole of the foot

The plantar nerves are a pair of nerves innervating the sole of the foot. They arise from the posterior branch of the tibial nerve.^[1]

Medial plantar nerve^[2]

The medial plantar nerve supplies: the abductor hallucis, the flexor digitorum brevis, the flexor hallucis brevis and the first lumbrical. Cutaneous distribution of the medial plantar nerve is to the medial sole and medial three and one half toes, including the nail beds on the dorsum (like the median nerve in the hand). Mnemonic LAFF muscles (pronounced "laugh") L – first Lumbrical, A – Abductor Hallucis, F – Flexor digitorum brevis, F – flexor hallucis brevis

Lateral plantar nerve^[2]

The lateral plantar nerve supplies quadratus plantae, flexor digiti minimi brevis, adductor hallucis, the dorsal and plantar interossei, three lateral lumbricals and abductor digiti minimi. Cutaneous innervation is to the lateral sole and lateral one and one half toes (like the ulnar nerve).

Nerves of the lumbosacral plexus

Lumbar plexus

iliohypogastric	lateral cutaneous branch anterior cutaneous branch
ilioinguinal	anterior scrotal ♂/labial ♀
genitofemoral	femoral branch genital branch
Lateral cutaneous	patellar
obturator	anterior cutaneous posterior accessory
femoral	anterior cutaneous branches saphenous infrapatellar medial crural cutaneous

sacral plexus

sciatic

common fibular	lateral sural cutaneous communicating branch deep fibular lateral terminal branch medial terminal branch dorsal digital superficial fibular medial dorsal cutaneous intermediate dorsal cutaneous dorsal digital
tibial	medial sural cutaneous medial calcaneal medial plantar (common plantar digital nerves proper plantar digital) lateral plantar (deep branch superficial branch common plantar digital proper plantar digital)
sural	lateral dorsal cutaneous lateral calcaneal

other

coccygeal plexus

Nerve supply of the human leg

References

^ Granger, Caroline J.; Cohen-Levy, Wayne B. (2023), "Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb: Posterior Tibial Nerve", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 31536230, retrieved 2023-11-18
^ ^a ^b Netter, Frank (2014). Atlas of Human Anatomy. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders. pp. Table 7-1 through 7-4. ISBN 978-1-4557-5888-3.