title: The Importance of the Saphenous Nerve in Ankle Surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent evidence suggests that the saphenous nerve may be involved in the innervation of deeper structures at the medial ankle. In this study, we sought to determine the consistency and variability of the saphenous nerve innervation at the distal tibia and medial ankle joint capsule.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred three lower extremities from 52 embalmed cadavers were dissected to identify the deep branches of saphenous nerve along its distal course.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all specimens, the saphenous nerve had branches, emerging between 3.9 and 8.2 cm above the medial malleolus, to the periosteum of the distal tibia and the medial capsule of the ankle joint.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Deep branches of the saphenous nerve innervate the periosteum of the distal tibia and talocrural capsule.
authors: From the *Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; †Medical Anatomy Center, Western University of Health Sciences, Lebanon, Oregon; and ‡Integrative Biosciences Department, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon.
authors: Nicholas
authors: N
authors: Eglitis
authors: Jean-Louis
authors: JL
authors: Horn
authors: Brion
authors: B
authors: Benninger
authors: Sylvia
authors: S
authors: Nelsen
mesh_terms: D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000294:innervation* / Q000601:surgery*; D002102:Cadaver; D004210:Dissection; D005267:Femoral Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans