The muscular branching characteristics of the deep peroneal nerve in adult human cadavers

The aim of this study was to investigate the number of muscular branches and muscular branching characteristics of the deep peroneal nerve to the muscles. In this study, a total of 16 lower extremities from 8 male cadavers fixed with formalin, ethanol, and glycerol solution were dissected and the number of muscular branches of the deep peroneal nerve and muscular branching features were investigated. It was observed that 31.5% of the muscular branches given by the deep peroneal nerve came to the tibialis anterior muscle, 28.9% to the extensor digitorum longus muscle, 25.5% to the extensor hallucis longus muscle, 11.4% to the peroneus tertius muscle and 2.7% to the peroneus longus muscle. Muscular branches to the tibialis anterior muscle, extensor digitorum longus muscle, and peroneus tertius muscle were generally originated from the deep peroneal nerve in the proximal 1/3 of the leg. Muscular branches to the extensor hallucis longus muscle arose usually from the deep peroneal nerve in the middle 1/3 of the leg. We think that the data we obtained in our research will reduce the rate of important complications such as neurovascular injury in interventions planned for the deep peroneal nerve and the structures adjacent to the nerve.