Report of a rare case of high division of the sciatic nerve over the superior gemellus muscle

Simone Terçariol; Ana Paula Ferreira; Roberto Suguihara; Maria Linhares; Leonardo Rimolo; Raiane Berigo; Claudio Teixeira; Marcio Babinski

doi:10.65053/pf6rd289

Authors

Simone Terçariol Goiás Institute of Education and Research – INEPG, Rio Verde, GO, Brazil Author
Ana Paula Ferreira Goiás Institute of Education and Research – INEPG, Rio Verde, GO, Brazil Author
Roberto Suguihara Goiás Institute of Education and Research – INEPG, Rio Verde, GO, Brazil Author
Maria Linhares Goiás Institute of Education and Research – INEPG, Rio Verde, GO, Brazil Author
Leonardo Rimolo Goiás Institute of Education and Research – INEPG, Rio Verde, GO, Brazil Author
Raiane Berigo Goiás Institute of Education and Research – INEPG, Rio Verde, GO, Brazil Author
Claudio Teixeira Goiás Institute of Education and Research – INEPG, Rio Verde, GO, Brazil Author
Marcio Babinski Morphology Department, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65053/pf6rd289

Keywords:

superior gemellus muscle, sciatic nerve, gluteal region, anatomical variation

Abstract

The sciatic nerve (SN), originating from the sacral plexus, is the largest nerve in the human body. Anatomically, it passes through the gluteal region, crossing the greater sciatic notch, and divides at the popliteal fossa into its terminal branches, the tibial and common fibular nerves, but there are variations in the level of this bifurcation, which are frequently found. The aim of this study was to report a case of high division of the sciatic nerve passing through the superior gemellus muscle, an anatomical variation considered relevant to clinical practice. The variation was found during the dissection of a male cadaver, in the left lower limb. The SI was divided as it entered the gluteal region, with the common fibular nerve on the upper margin of the superior gemellus muscle and the tibial nerve on the lower margin of the superior gemellus muscle. The two branches, tibial and common fibular, remained divided throughout the posterior extension of the lower limb. The occurrence of a high division of the sciatic nerve, as well as its path, is important during clinical-surgical approaches in cases of injuries that may affect parts of the gluteal or femoral regions, in addition to being correlated with a condition of nerve compression.

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