The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that runs down the lower limb. It is the longest single nerve in the body.
Arising from the lower part of the sacral plexus , the sciatic nerve enters the gluteal region by the greater sciatic foramen of the hip bone.
It continues down the posterior compartment of the thigh, until it separates into the tibial nerve and the common peroneal nerve . The location of this division varies between people.
Pain along the sciatic nerve is called sciatica.
Sciatic nerves from frogs and rats are often used in physiology experiments on nerve conduction. This is because this nerve is large, and is easily dissected and manipulated.
In Judaism, a slaughtered animal must have this nerve removed. If it is not removed then the entire thigh is not eaten, and is generally sold on to a non-Jewish butcher, although the rest of the animal is still Kosher, and fit to eat. The process of removing the nerve is called Traibering from an Aramaic word meaning fat, or Nikkur, meaning to clean, in Hebrew. This process is complicated and post the 13th century was rarely done, as there was an abundance of other meat cuts availiable. Nowadays, mainly in Israel, it has come back into practice, mainly due to the fact that some of the choicer cuts of meat come from the hind-quarters.