78 Neuroanatomy: Draw It to Know It
Sensory Map of the Foot
Here, let’s sketch the sensory coverage of the feet. Despite
the following details, bear in mind that generally, quite
simply, the tibial nerve covers the plantar foot and the
peroneal nerve covers the dorsal foot. Now, trace your
feet. Label one tracing as the dorsal foot and the other as
the plantar foot. On the plantar foot, show that the medial
calcaneal nerve covers the heel. Th en, draw a line down
the center of the fourth toe and through the sole. Indicate
that the medial plantar nerve covers the medial foot and
that the lateral plantar nerve covers the lateral foot.
Next, turn to the dorsal foot tracing. Indicate that the
superfi cial peroneal nerve covers the dorsum of the foot
except for the following areas: the deep peroneal nerve
covers the webbing between the great toe and second
digit, and the distal branches of the sural nerve (the lat-
eral calcaneal branch and lateral dorsal cutaneous nerve)
cover the lateral malleolus, lateral foot, and little toe.
Finally, on the plantar and dorsal surfaces, show that
the femoral-derived saphenous nerve covers the instep
(or medial surface) of the foot.^1 – 4 , 8