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The significance of tibial and common peroneal nerves in nerve blocks

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to elucidate the anatomical location of tibial nerve (TN) and common peroneal nerve (CPN) in the popliteal crease for specific nerve block.

Methods

Fifty fresh specimens from 27 adult Korean cadavers (16 males and 11 females, age 35–87 years) were investigated. Five of the 27 cadavers were used to determine the depths of nerves in cross-section.

Results

Tibial nerve was located 50 % from the most lateral point of the popliteal crease and 1.4-cm deep to the surface. In 20 % of the 50 specimens, the medial sural cutaneous nerve branched out below or at the popliteal crease, whereas the CPN was located at 26 % from the most lateral point of the popliteal crease and 0.7-cm deep from the surface. Furthermore, in 6 % of specimens the lateral sural cutaneous nerve branched out below or at the popliteal crease.

Conclusion

The results concerning the location of the TN and CPN at the popliteal crease offer a good guide to optimal nerve block.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Byung-Ouk Hong and Sang-Hyun Kim, Department of Anatomy Catholic Institute for Applied Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, for help in gathering the data. This research was supported by basic science research program through the national research foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (NO. 2012R1A1A2007099).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Konyang University of Korea, Daejeon, Korea

    Je-Hun Lee

  2. Department of Anatomy, Catholic Institute for Applied Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 137-701, Korea

    Xiaochun An & Seung-Ho Han

  3. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea

    Be-Na Lee

  4. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Michael Y. Lee

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  1. Je-Hun Lee
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  2. Be-Na Lee
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  3. Michael Y. Lee
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  4. Xiaochun An
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  5. Seung-Ho Han
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seung-Ho Han.

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Lee, JH., Lee, BN., Lee, M.Y. et al. The significance of tibial and common peroneal nerves in nerve blocks. Surg Radiol Anat 35, 211–215 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-012-1025-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-012-1025-9

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