Objective
To investigate the anatomical characteristics of the biceps femoris short head (BS) and determine the optimal needle placement for BS examination.
Methods
Twenty-one lower limbs were dissected. The distances from the medial and lateral margins of the biceps femoris long head (BL) tendon to the common fibular nerve (CFN) (M_CFN_VD and L_CFN_VD, respectively) and the distance from the lateral margin of the BL tendon to the lateral margin of the BS (L_BS_HD) were measured 5 cm proximal to the tip of the fibular head (P1), four fingerbreadths proximal to the tip of the fibular head (P2), and at the upper apex of the popliteal fossa (P3).
Results
The BS was located lateral to the BL tendon. The CFN was located along the medial margin of the BL tendon. The median values were 2.0 (P1), 3.0 (P2), and 0 mm (P3) for M_CFN_VD; and 17.4 (P1), 20.2 (P2), and 21.8 mm (P3) for L_CFN_VD; and 8.1 (P1), 8.8 (P2), and 13.0 mm (P3) for L_BS_VD.
Conclusion
The lateral approach to the BL tendon was safer than the medial approach for examining the BS. Amore proximal insertion site around the upper apex of the popliteal fossa was more accurate than the distal insertion site. In this study, we propose a safer and more accurate approach for electromyography of the BS.

Citations

• Ultrasound Depiction of the Optimal Window for Needle Placement for Electromyography of the Short Head of the Biceps Femoris
  Reece M. Hass, Cecilia V. Mitchell, James B. Meiling, William J. Litchy, Andrea J. Boon
  Muscle & Nerve.2026; 73(4): 630.     CrossRef
• Muscle dynamics analysis by clustered categories during jogging in patients with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency
  Haoran Li, Hongshi Huang, Si Zhang, Shuang Ren, Qiguo Rong
  BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef

Objective
To present the branching patterns and anatomical course of the common fibular nerve (CFN) and its relationship with fibular head (FH).
Methods
A total of 21 limbs from 12 fresh cadavers were dissected. The FH width (FH_width), distance between the FH and CFN (FH_CFN), and thickness of the nerve were measured. The ratio of the FH_CFN to FH_width was calculated as follows: <1, cross type and ≥1, posterior type. Angle between the CFN and vertical line of the lower limb 5 cm proximal to the tip of the FH was measured. Branching patterns of the lateral cutaneous nerve of the calf (LCNC) were classified into four types according to its origin and direction as follows: type 1a, lateral margin of the CFN; type 1b, medial margin of the CFN; type 2, lateral sural cutaneous nerve (LSCN); and type 3, CFN and LSCN.
Results
In the cross type (15 cases, 71.4%), the ratio of FH_CFN/FH_width was 0.83 and the angle was 13.0°. In the posterior type (6 cases, 28.6%), the ratio was 1.04 and the angle was 11.0°. In the branching patterns of LCNC, type 2 was the most common (10 cases), followed by types 1a and 1b (both, 5 cases).
Conclusion
Location of the CFN around the FH might be related to the development of its neuropathy, especially in the cross type of CFN. The LCNC showed various branching patterns and direction, which could be associated with difficulties of electrophysiologic testing.

Citations

• The Lateral Cutaneous Nerve of the Calf
  Andreas Gohritz, A. Lee Dellon, Dirk J. Schaefer, Eric Williams
  Annals of Plastic Surgery.2026; 97(2): 197.     CrossRef
• Axonal profiling of the common fibular nerve and its branches: Their functional composition and clinical implications
  Taeyeon Kim, Tae‐Hyeon Cho, Shin Hyung Kim, Hun‐Mu Yang
  Clinical Anatomy.2025; 38(7): 734.     CrossRef
• Intraneural Topography and Branching Patterns of the Common Peroneal Nerve: Studying the Feasibility of Distal Nerve Transfers
  Elliot L.H. Le, Taylor H. Allenby, Marlie Fisher, Ryan S. Constantine, Colin T. McNamara, Caleb Barnhill, Anne Engemann, Orlando Merced-O’Neill, Matthew L. Iorio
  Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Global Open.2024; 12(10): e6258.     CrossRef
• Fluoroscopically-guided therapeutic injection of the proximal tibiofibular joint in a patient with lateral knee pain
  Cooper Dean, Ivan Davis, David Alvarez
  Radiology Case Reports.2020; 15(12): 2510.     CrossRef

Objective
To investigate the reference value for cross sectional area (CSA) of the fibular nerve in Koreans. Method One musculoskeletal radiologist and one physiatrist performed fibular nerve ultrasonography (US) on 60 lower extremities of 30 asymptomatic Korean volunteers (16 males, 14 females). The mean age was 46.6 years (range: 21-75 years). We measured CSA of the fibular nerve at three sites: proximal portion (PP) at the bifurcation, mid-portion (MP), and an area just above the fibular head (FH). In addition, the fibular nerves of 7 lower extremities from 4 cadavers were cut from the fibular head to the proximal portion and divided into three sections (PP, MP, FH). They were subsequently fixed with 10% neutral buffered formalin and perpendicularly excised to 2 mm thickness. They were photographed by an operating microscope and CSA was measured. Using the Kruskal-Wallis test, measurements obtained from US images were compared between asymptomatic volunteers with a significance level of 0.05. Results In asymptomatic volunteers, the CSA of the three portions were PP: 13.8±1.2 mm², MP: 11.1±1.0 mm², FH: 10.9±0.6 mm². The fibular nerves were well visualized with clear borders by US. In cadavers, the CSA of three portions were PP: 20.3±10.3 mm², MP: 16.7±8.6 mm², FH: 14.4±8.9 mm². There was no significant difference between the three portions in asymptomatic volunteers and cadavers (p＞0.05). Conclusion In normal Korean adults, the area of fibular nerve at the fibular head is 10.9±0.6 mm². Ultrasonographic evaluation of the fibular nerve can be helpful in diagnosing fibular nerve lesions.