Sciatic nerve, nervus ishiadicus in Latin, is one of the largest nerves in our body. The origin of this nerve is in the lower back, from where it descends down, through the buttocks and all the way down the back of the leg.
Around the knee area it gets divided into two branches. The first one is called tibial nerve and the second one common fibular nerve. These two branches extend all the way to the fingers. So, anatomically speaking, sciatic nerve is certainly the longest nerve in our body, extending from the lower back down to the tips of our toes.
Origin And Branches
As we`ve said before, the nerve originates in the pelvis, then leaves it through the infrapiriform foramen and travels down across the deep muscles of the hip and to the back of the hip. The ending of the nerve is around the knee area, but it can fluctuate.
The nerve gives off side and end branches.
Side branches are divided into three groups:
- Muscular branches – giving off smaller branches for the innervation of muscles in the back of the thigh
- Articular branches – giving off smaller branches for the innervation of joints of the hip and knee
Sciatic nerve also innervates the skin on the posterior aspects of gluteal region, thigh region along with the entire leg.
End branches:
- Tibial nerve – main nerve of the back of the lower leg and sole of the foot
- Common fibular nerve – innervates some muscles in the back of the upper and lower leg