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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Front. Neurol.

Sec. Neuromuscular Disorders and Peripheral Neuropathies

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1592879

An Exploratory Study of Type B Variation of the Sciatic Nerve

Provisionally accepted
Rasyidah  RehirRasyidah Rehir1,2*Jun  Mun TeohJun Mun Teoh2Sumar  ChanSumar Chan2Raghad  Abdulaziz AlmansourRaghad Abdulaziz Almansour2,3Abeer  Saleh AlshayaAbeer Saleh Alshaya2Abduelmenem  AlashkhamAbduelmenem Alashkham2
  • 1Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 2Anatomy, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  • 3Anatomy Department, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences,, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Back ground: Sciatic nerve gives off branches that supply the back of the thigh, leg, and foot. Classically, this nerve emerges from the greater sciatic foramen below the piriformis muscle and subsequently divides into the common fibular and tibial nerves in the distal third of the posterior thigh. However, the course of the sciatic nerve varies among individuals, potentially resulting in nerve compressions. Understanding these variations helps prevent injuries during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. This study examined the branching patterns of this nerve in the Scottish cadavers using the Beaton and Anson classification, which categorizes them into Type A-G. Methods: Twelve gluteal regions (4 males, 8 females) with a mean age of 87.3 years, were obtained from a Scottish University regulated by the Human Tissue (Scotland) 2006. The sciatic nerve and its branches were carefully dissected, and the relationship between the nerve and the piriformis muscle was observed and documented. Results: One left gluteal region of an 89-yearold female (n=1, 8.3%) showed sciatic nerve variation. This variant exhibited early bifurcation, with the common fibular nerve piercing through the piriformis and the tibial nerve passing beneath it (referred to as Type B). The remaining 91.7% of cases, the sciatic nerve exhibited classical presentation (referred to as Type A). Conclusions: The Type B variation of the sciatic nerve is found in 8.3% of the elderly Scottish cadavers. While it is rare, it is crucial to acknowledge nerve variants to prevent injuries during posterior approach total hip arthroplasty or inadequate sciatic nerve blockade.

Keywords: Anatomy, early bifurcation, Piriformis, Sciatic Nerve, variant

Received: 14 Mar 2025; Accepted: 10 Jul 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Rehir, Teoh, Chan, Almansour, Alshaya and Alashkham. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Rasyidah Rehir, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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