Wrist, Hand and Foot - LO 7

7. Describe the cutaneous innervation of the foot; including primary nerve and spinal cord level.

Cutaneous nerves (most are branches of nerves that innervate lower limb muscles) supply the skin of the foot. In the foot, it is important clinically or diagnostically to associate deficits of sensation with nerves and/or spinal cord levels.

On the plantar surface of the foot, the medial plantar & lateral plantar nn. (branches of tibial n.) provide cutaneous innervation to most of the plantar surface. The lateral edge of the foot, plantar and dorsal surfaces, is from the sural nerve. The skin on the majority of the dorsum of the foot is innervated by the superficial fibular (peroneal) n. with the small patch of skin between the big toe and 2nd digit innervated by the deep fibular (peroneal) n.

The dorsum of the foot is superficial and deep branches of the fibular (peroneal) n.