The skin, muscles, bones, joints, etc. of the leg receive their nerve supply from both portions of the sciatic nerve.

The common peroneal nerve enters the anterior leg on the proximal lateral surface of the leg, and splits into two major branches that supply both the lateral and anterior compartments of the leg.

The superficial branch of the common peroneal serves the lateral compartment and most of the dorsal skin of the foot.

The deep peroneal nerve supplies the anterior compartment of the leg, the extensor digitorum brevis, and a small part of the dorsal skin of the foot.

The other portion of the sciatic, the tibial nerve, serves all of the posterior compartment of the leg. After coursing around the posterior aspect of the medial malleolus near the ankle, the tibial nerve splits into medial and lateral plantar nerves that serve all of the foot's plantar region.