Synonyms
Sciatica, sciatic nerve, hip nerve, ischial nerve Medical: sciatic nerve
- The upper gluteal nerve (nervus gluteus superior)
- The lower gluteal nerve (inferior gluteus nerve)
- The sciatic nerve with its two branches, the fibular nerve (=peroneus) communis and the tibial nerve
- The posterior skin nerve of the thigh (nervus cutaneus femoris posterior)
- The pubic nerve (Nervus pudendus)
The sciatic nerve divides in the area of the knee: The common fibular nerve further divides at the lower leg into a superficial and a deep branch (nervus fibularis superficialis and profundus). The tibial nerve splits into two further branches (plantar medial and lateral nerves) at the inner ankle to supply the foot muscles. The tibial nerve is further divided into fibers for movement (motor part) and fibers for sensation (sensitive fibers), which run together in one nerve and are then delivered as branches to the respective supply area.
- The tibial nerve
- And the common fibula nerve (nervus fibularis communis)
Anatomy and course of the sciatic nerve
The sciatic nerve originates from a nerve plexus in the lumbar-sacral region (plexus lumbosacralis). First, it runs under the largest gluteus maximus muscle through the large ischial hole (foramen ischiadicus majus). This is a point of passage for important supply structures of the leg and hip, limited in the pelvic region by bones, ligaments and muscles.
This large penetration point is divided by a pear-shaped muscle (Musculus piriformis) into two smaller openings (Formamen suprapiriforme and Foramen infrapiriforme). The sciatic nerve passes through the lower opening (Foramen infrapiriforme). It then runs along the back of the thigh between the thigh flexors (sciocrural muscles). Shortly before reaching the popliteal fossa, the sciatic nerve splits into two branches, the common fibular nerve (nervus fibularis communis) and the tibial nerve (nervus tibialis).
Anatomy and course of the fibula and tibial nerves
The two branches continue to pull along the lower leg towards the foot. The common fibula nerve winds around the head of the fibula (Caput fibulae) and then runs along the front of the lower leg. It bores through the long fibula muscle (Musculus fibularis longus) and then divides again into a superficial and a deep branch (Nervus fibularis superficialis and profundus).
The tibial nerve runs through the hollow of the knee to the lower leg. There it runs between the superficial and deep flexor muscles of the lower leg. At the inner ankle, this nerve divides further into two branches (plantar nerve medialis and lateralis), and then supplies the foot.
