Innervation of lower limb muscles

Gray’s Anatomy plan of the lumbar plexus
Plan of the lumbar plexus, which supplies the front and medial side of the thigh through the femoral and obturator nerves. Image by Henry Vandyke Carter, Gray’s Anatomy (1918), Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Gray’s Anatomy plan of the sacral plexus
Plan of the sacral plexus, which supplies the gluteal muscles, the hamstrings and the muscles below the knee. Image by Henry Vandyke Carter, Gray’s Anatomy (1918), Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Anatomy

Gluteal region

  • Gluteus maximus, inferior gluteal nerve (L5, S1, S2)
  • Gluteus medius, superior gluteal nerve (L4, L5, S1)
  • Gluteus minimus, superior gluteal nerve (L4, L5, S1)
  • Tensor fasciae latae, superior gluteal nerve (L4, L5, S1)
  • Piriformis, nerve to piriformis (S1, S2)
  • Obturator internus and superior gemellus, nerve to obturator internus (L5, S1, S2)
  • Quadratus femoris and inferior gemellus, nerve to quadratus femoris (L4, L5, S1)

Anterior thigh

  • Psoas major, lumbar plexus anterior rami (L1, L2, L3)
  • Iliacus, femoral nerve (L2, L3)
  • Sartorius, femoral nerve (L2, L3)
  • Rectus femoris, femoral nerve (L2, L3, L4)
  • Vastus lateralis, medialis and intermedius, femoral nerve (L2, L3, L4)
  • Pectineus, femoral nerve (L2, L3)

Medial thigh

  • Adductor longus, obturator nerve anterior division (L2, L3, L4)
  • Adductor brevis, obturator nerve (L2, L3, L4)
  • Gracilis, obturator nerve anterior division (L2, L3)
  • Adductor magnus adductor part, obturator nerve posterior division (L2, L3, L4)
  • Adductor magnus hamstring part, tibial division of sciatic nerve (L4)
  • Obturator externus, obturator nerve posterior division (L3, L4)

Posterior thigh

  • Semitendinosus, tibial division of sciatic nerve (L5, S1, S2)
  • Semimembranosus, tibial division of sciatic nerve (L5, S1, S2)
  • Biceps femoris long head, tibial division of sciatic nerve (L5, S1, S2)
  • Biceps femoris short head, common peroneal division of sciatic nerve (L5, S1, S2)

Anterior leg

  • Tibialis anterior, deep peroneal nerve (L4, L5)
  • Extensor hallucis longus, deep peroneal nerve (L5, S1)
  • Extensor digitorum longus, deep peroneal nerve (L5, S1)
  • Peroneus tertius, deep peroneal nerve (L5, S1)

Lateral leg

Superficial posterior leg

Deep posterior leg

  • Popliteus, tibial nerve (L4, L5, S1)
  • Tibialis posterior, tibial nerve (L4, L5)
  • Flexor digitorum longus, tibial nerve (S2, S3)
  • Flexor hallucis longus, tibial nerve (S2, S3)

Foot

  • Extensor digitorum brevis and extensor hallucis brevis, deep peroneal nerve (L5, S1)
  • Abductor hallucis, FDB, FHB and first lumbrical, medial plantar nerve (S2, S3)
  • Abductor digiti minimi and quadratus plantae, lateral plantar nerve (S2, S3)
  • Adductor hallucis, interossei and lumbricals 2 to 4, lateral plantar nerve (S2, S3)

Myotomes

  • Hip flexion L2, knee extension L3, ankle dorsiflexion L4
  • Great toe extension L5, ankle plantarflexion S1

Reviewed by Professor Phong Tran, Head of Orthopaedic Surgery, Western Health. Last updated 10 October 2026.