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Nerves of the Ankle and Foot

Last Updated: Apr 2, 2013

The nerves of the foot help move the body and keep balance both while it’s moving and at rest. Many of these nerves come from the leg, down through the ankle and into the foot. These include the saphenous nerve, sural nerve, the deep and superficial peroneal nerves, and the tibial nerve.

Other nerves include the medial calcaneal nerve, medial and lateralmycontentbreak plantar nerves, and the dorsal digital nerves. The medial and lateral plantar nerves are the two largest nerves in the bottom of the foot. The medial is the larger of the two. The dorsal digital nerves are on the top of the foot. They are actually bundles of nerves that command the many small bones of the toes to create the constant, subtle shifting of the feet that keeps us from falling down.