The superficial peroneal nerve at the foot. Organisation, surgical applications.

The authors report the results of the dissection of the superficial peroneal nerves of 30 adult cadavers, from its emergence through the deep sural fascia up to its terminal branches. Its emergence was located, on average, 11 cm from the lower end of the lateral malleolus (min: 9 cm, max: 11.5 cm). The division of the nerve into the medial dorsal cutaneous n. and the intermediate dorsal cutaneous n. was found in 29 cases after its emergence from the sural fascia and before its passage on the proximal edge of the extensor retinaculum. The distance between the medial dorsal cutaneous n. and the medial malleolus was more than 2 cm. This nerve divided into three branches at a level varying from 5 to 20 cm in relation to the first interdigital space (average 9 cm). The intermediate dorsal cutaneous n. was found in 27 cases. It divided into two branches at a variable distance from the fourth interdigital space (4 to 6 cm). According to Kosinski's classification, we found 24 cases of type I (80%), three cases of type II (10%) and three cases of type IV (10%). The authors stress the numerous topographic variations and the multiple anatomical types.