Which nerve provides cutaneous innervation to the medial aspect of the foot?

• A. Deep peroneal nerve
• B. Saphenous nerve
• C. Superficial peroneal nerve
• D. Sural nerve

Answer: (B)

The saphenous nerve provides cutaneous sensation to the medial aspect of the foot. It’s a purely sensory branch of the femoral nerve that travels with the great saphenous vein down the medial leg and into the foot near the medial malleolus, supplying the skin along the medial leg and the medial border of the foot up to the medial foot region. The other nerves innervate different areas: the deep peroneal covers the web space between the first and second toes on the dorsum, the superficial peroneal supplies most of the dorsum of the foot, and the sural nerve supplies the lateral and posterior aspects of the foot. Thus, the medial aspect of the foot is best served by the saphenous nerve.