Tibial Nerve

Authors

Affiliations

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.S. in Kinesiology

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.A. in Neuroscience

Note the tibial nerve as it follows a distal path through the center of the tibiofemoral joint line, but then quickly courses medially towards the tarsal tunnel¹. The tibial nerve enters the lower leg then pierces the soleus muscle¹.

Roots

Pathway

Branches

Medial plantar
Lateral plantar
Sural (shared common fib and tibial)

Motor innervation

Triceps surae²
- Gastrocnemius²
- Soleus²
Plantaris²
Popliteus²
Tibialis posterior²
Flexor digitorum longus²
Flexor hallucis longus²

Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Innervation	Action
Adductor Magnus	Inferior pubic ramus Ischial ramus Ischial tuberosity	Medial lip of Linea aspera Adductor tubercle	Obturator n. Tibial n. L2 - L4	Hip: Adduction, Flexion, Extension, IR Pelvis: Frontal stabilization, Sagittal stabilization
Biceps femoris long head	Ischial tuberosity Sacrotuberous lig. (Common head with semitendinosus)	Fibular head	Tibial n. L5 - S2	Hip: Extension Knee: Flexion, ER Pelvis: Sagittal stabilization
Flexor digitorum longus	Middle 1/3 of posterior surface of Tibia	Bases of 2-5 Distal Phalanges	Tibial n. L5 - S2	TCJ: PF STJ: Inversion 2nd-5th Toe: MTP Flexion, PIP Flexion, DIP Flexion
Flexor hallucis longus	Posterior distal 2/3 of Fibula IO membrane	Base of 1st Distal Phalanx	Tibial n. L5 - S2	TCJ: PF STJ: Inversion 1st Toe: MTP Flexion, IP Flexion
Gastrocnemius	Superior-posterior aspect of Medial Femoral Condyle Lateral surface of Lateral Femoral Condyle	Calcaneal tuberosity via Achilles' Tendon	Tibial n. S1 - S2	TCJ: PF Knee: Flexion
Plantaris	Lateral epicondyle of Femur	Calcaneal tuberosity	Tibial n. S1 - S2	Knee: negligble Flexion TCJ: PF Proprioception: Organ of proprioception for the plantarflexors
Popliteus	Lateral Femoral Condyle Posterior horn of Lateral Meniscus	Posterior surface of Tibia	Tibial n. L4 - S1	Knee: Flexion, Unlocks the knee via knee IR
Semimembranosus	Ischial tuberosity	Medial tibial condyle Oblique popliteal lig. Popliteus fascia	Tibial n. L5 - S2	Hip: Extension Knee: Flexion, IR Pelvis: Sagittal stabilization
Semitendinosus	Ischial tuberosity Sacrotuberous lig. (common head with biceps femoris long head)	Pes anserine	Tibial n. L5 - S2	Hip: Extension Knee: Flexion, IR Pelvis: Sagittal stabilization
Soleus	Posterior Fibula Posterior Tibia	Calcaneal tuberosity via Achilles' Tendon	Tibial n. S1 - S2	TCJ: PF Lower leg: Stabilization
Tibialis posterior	IO membrane Adjacent Tibia Adjacent Fibula	Cuneiforms 2-4 MT bases	Tibial n. L4 - L5	TCJ: PF Arch support: Transverse arch, Longitudinal arch

Direct Innervation From Sciatic N.
Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Nerve	Action
Adductor Magnus	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Medial Thigh Muscles/adductor_magnus.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Medial Thigh Muscles/adductor_magnus.html#insertion	?var:ref-adductor-magnus.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Medial Thigh Muscles/adductor_magnus.html#action
Biceps Femoris Long Head	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/biceps_femoris_long_head.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/biceps_femoris_long_head.html#insertion	?var:ref-biceps-femoris-long-head.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/biceps_femoris_long_head.html#action
Semitendinosus	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/semitendinosus.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/semitendinosus.html#insertion	?var:ref-semitendinosus.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/semitendinosus.html#action
Semimembranosus	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/semimembranosus.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/semimembranosus.html#insertion	?var:ref-semimembranosus.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Thigh Muscles/Posterior Thigh Muscles/semimembranosus.html#action

Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Nerve	Action
Gastrocnemius	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/gastrocnemius.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/gastrocnemius.html#insertion	?var:ref-gastrocnemius.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/gastrocnemius.html#action
Soleus	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/soleus.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/soleus.html#insertion	?var:ref-soleus.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/soleus.html#action
Plantaris	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/plantaris.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/plantaris.html#insertion	?var:ref-plantaris.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/plantaris.html#action
Tibialis Posterior	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/tibialis_posterior.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/tibialis_posterior.html#insertion	?var:ref-tibialis-posterior.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/tibialis_posterior.html#action
Flexor Digitorum Longus	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/flexor_digitorum_longus_FDL.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/flexor_digitorum_longus_FDL.html#insertion	?var:ref-flexor-digitorum-longus.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/flexor_digitorum_longus_FDL.html#action
Flexor Hallucis Longus	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/flexor_hallucis_longus_FHL.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/flexor_hallucis_longus_FHL.html#insertion	?var:ref-flexor-hallucis-longus.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Knee and Lower Leg/Posterior compartment/flexor_hallucis_longus_FHL.html#action

Medial Plantar N. Innervation
Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Nerve	Action
Flexor Digitorum Brevis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/flexor_digitorum_brevis.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/flexor_digitorum_brevis.html#insertion	?var:ref-flexor-digitorum-brevis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/flexor_digitorum_brevis.html#action
Lumbricals (foot)	?var:ref-foot-lumbricals.origin	?var:ref-foot-lumbricals.insertion	?var:ref-foot-lumbricals.nerve	?var:ref-foot-lumbricals.action
Flexor Hallucis Brevis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/flexor_hallucis_brevis.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/flexor_hallucis_brevis.html#insertion	?var:ref-flexor-hallucis-brevis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/flexor_hallucis_brevis.html#action
Adductor Hallucis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/adductor_hallucis.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/adductor_hallucis.html#insertion	?var:ref-adductor-hallucis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/adductor_hallucis.html#action

Lateral Plantar N. Innervations
Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Nerve	Action
Abductor Digiti Minimi (foot)	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/abductor_digiti_minimi_foot.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/abductor_digiti_minimi_foot.html#insertion	?var:ref-abductor-digiti-minimi-foot.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/abductor_digiti_minimi_foot.html#action
Quadratus Plantae	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/quadratus_plantae.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/quadratus_plantae.html#insertion	?var:ref-quadratus-plantae.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/quadratus_plantae.html#action
Lumbricals (foot)	?var:ref-foot-lumbricals.origin	?var:ref-foot-lumbricals.insertion	?var:ref-foot-lumbricals.nerve	?var:ref-foot-lumbricals.action
Flexor Hallucis Brevis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/flexor_hallucis_brevis.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/flexor_hallucis_brevis.html#insertion	?var:ref-flexor-hallucis-brevis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/flexor_hallucis_brevis.html#action
Adductor Hallucis	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/adductor_hallucis.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/adductor_hallucis.html#insertion	?var:ref-adductor-hallucis.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/adductor_hallucis.html#action
Flexor Digiti Minimi Brevis (Foot)	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/flexor_digiti_minimi_brevis_foot.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/flexor_digiti_minimi_brevis_foot.html#insertion	?var:ref-flexor-digiti-minimi-brevis-foot.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/flexor_digiti_minimi_brevis_foot.html#action
Opponens Digiti Minimi (Foot)	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/opponens_digiti_minimi_foot.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/opponens_digiti_minimi_foot.html#insertion	?var:ref-opponens-digiti-minimi-foot.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/opponens_digiti_minimi_foot.html#action
Plantar Interossei (Foot)	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/plantar_interossei.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/plantar_interossei.html#insertion	?var:ref-plantar-interossei-foot.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/plantar_interossei.html#action
Dorsal Interossei (Foot)	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/dorsal_interossei_foot.html#origin	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/dorsal_interossei_foot.html#insertion	?var:ref-dorsal-interossei-foot.nerve	/The Archive/Anatomy/Skeletal Muscles/Lower limb muscles/Ankle and Foot/Intrinsic Dorsal Foot Muscles/dorsal_interossei_foot.html#action

Cutaneous Innervation

Medial sural cutaneous n.²
Medial and lateral calcaneal brs.²
Lateral dorsal cutaneous n.²

Dysfunction

Entrapment sites:

Indirect
Direct
- Soleus origin
- Tarsal tunnel

Palpation

Patient positioned in prone
Palpate lateral head of the gastrocnemius at the distal joint line of the tibiofemoral joint.
Move medially and you should be able to strum the tibial nerve as it runs vertically.
Follow the tibial nerve inferiorly to palpate where it passes through the soleus origin.
- This can be a place where the tibial nerve can be entrapped¹.

Treatment

Soleus origin release

Notes

“The tibial nerve, the larger of the two branches of the sciatic nerve, begins its own course in the upper part of the popliteal space. It descends vertically through this space, passing between the heads of the gastrocnemius muscle to the posterior aspect of the leg, and to the posteromedial aspect of the ankle, where its terminal branches serve the foot and ankle (see Chapter 21).”³

“The tibial nerve supplies the gastrocnemius, plantaris, soleus, popliteus, tibialis posterior, flexor digitorum longus, and flexor hallucis longus muscles. Articular branches pass to the knee and ankle joints.”³

Entrapment

Reading list

Tibkal nerve p373⁴

References

Jones B. B Project Foundations. b Project; 2025.

Gilroy AM, MacPherson BR, Wikenheiser JC, Voll MM, Wesker K, Schünke M, eds. Atlas of Anatomy. 4th ed. Thieme; 2020.

Dutton M. Dutton’s Orthopaedic Examination, Evaluation, and Intervention. 5th ed. McGraw Hill Education; 2020.

Kolar P. Clinical Rehabilitation. 1st ed. Dynamic Neurological Stabilization; 2014.

Citation

For attribution, please cite this work as:

Yomogida N, Kerstein C. Tibial Nerve. https://yomokerst.com/The Archive/Anatomy/Nerves/Lumbosacral Plexus/Sacral Plexus/tibial_nerve.html