Ultrasonographic aspects of sural nerve anatomy

The anatomy of the sural nerve is highly variable, and the nerve can present injuries of various etiologies, including iatrogenic injury during surgery. Precise knowledge of the course and morphology of the sural nerve is valuable, and the ability to assess the nerve properly before surgery increases the postoperative success rate, as well as facilitating the execution of nerve conduction studies and biopsies. The purpose of this article is to describe and illustrate the anatomy of the sural nerve, as seen on ultrasonography, which is a practical and economical imaging method.