The sural nerve is the most commonly nerve used in nerve transplantation,
and so the aim of this study was to determine the variations of the sural nerve
in the back of the leg, its relations to the calcaneal tendon and lateral malleolus,
and determine the patterns of its distribution on the dorsum of the foot.
Twenty-four Egyptian legs and feet were dissected. The results showed that
the sural communicating nerve connected with the sural nerve in 87.5%. The
predominant site of union between these two nerves was in the lower onethird
of the leg and ankle region (62%). There was only one right leg that the
sural nerve passed through the gastrocnemius. The small saphenous vein
passed along the medial side of the sural nerve in 100%. The sural nerve
crossed the lateral border of the calcaneal tendon in 50%. The distance
between the sural nerve and insertion of calcaneal tendon was 16 ± 7 mm in
91.7%. There were four types of pattern of innervation of the toes by the sural
nerve. The predominant pattern was type I (45.80/0), where the lateral side of
the little toe was supplied by the sural nerve alone. The second pattern was
type IV (29.2%), where the lateral 2 1/2 toes were supplied by the sural nerve
alone. These findings are important for sural nerve biopsy and grafts, surgical
repair of the calcaneal tendon, and regional anesthesia of the foot. din. Anat.
24:237-245, 2011. 02010 Wiley-I-ts.. Inc.
Key words: sural nerve; anatomical variations; clinical importance; surgical
procedures |
