The clinical importance of variations in the surgical anatomy of the superficial peroneal nerve in the mid-third of the lateral leg

The superficial peroneal nerve (SPN) provides fundamental motor and sensory innervation to the leg and foot. A variety of surgical procedures is performed in the vicinity of this nerve, requiring that the surgeon be familiar with its specific anatomy. We dissected 111 legs to define the anatomic position of the SPN and found that the nerve had 4 distinct variations in location. In 77 (69.4%) specimens, the nerve coursed within the lateral compartment of the leg, while in 18 (16.2%) of the legs, the nerve split and contained branches in both the lateral and anterior compartments. The nerve in 7 (6.3%) legs was found within the intermuscular septum, and in 9 (8.1%) of the specimens, the SPN traveled only within the anterior compartment. These results confirm 4 anatomic variants of the SPN, which will aid surgeons in locating the nerve in the lateral aspect of the leg.