title: An ultrasound study of anatomic variants of the sural nerve.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are anatomic variations of the sural nerve (SN). Knowledge of these morphological types and the length of the SN are important for planning surgical reconstruction of peripheral nerves. Our purpose was to classify the morphological types of the SN by using ultrasound.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-hundred SNs in 100 normal subjects were examined by ultrasound with 13-MHz linear-array transducers. Classification of the SN was evaluated by its formation. The distance between the union and the distal point of the lateral malleolus was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SN variants could be classified into three types: type I (81%); type II (18%); and type III (1%). In type I, the average length of the SN was 15.8 ± 5.7 cm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The morphological types of the SN can be determined using ultrasound. Ultrasound classification of the SN is useful with regard to donor nerve surgical reconstruction of peripheral nerves.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, 600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, China. zhuja@sjtu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Jiaan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Diancheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult