A 58-year-old man undergoes coronary artery bypass grafting using the great saphenous vein as a conduit. Postoperatively he has numbness along the medial leg and medial border of the foot, with normal strength of hip, knee and ankle movements. Which nerve was injured during the harvest?

• A Saphenous nerve ✓
• B Sural nerve
• C Superficial fibular nerve
• D Medial plantar nerve

Explanation

The saphenous nerve, the longest cutaneous branch of the femoral nerve, runs alongside the great saphenous vein in the leg and crosses anterior to the medial malleolus. It is purely sensory, so motor function remains intact, which distinguishes it from a femoral trunk lesion. The sural nerve accompanies the small saphenous vein posterolaterally, the superficial fibular nerve supplies the dorsum of the foot, and the medial plantar nerve lies deep within the sole, none of which lie adjacent to the harvested vein.

Reference: Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy, 9th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.