Neurovascular variations in the limbs of a single cadaver

Introduction The cephalic vein begins at the radial end of the dorsal venous arch at the back of the hand, winds around the radial border of the forearm, and ascends in the arm on the lateral side of the biceps brachii muscle. The vein lies within the superficial fascia, and pierces the deep fascia to drain into axillary vein in the shoulder region [1, 2]. The origin of the basilic vein is the ulnar side of the dorsal venous arch, then it ascends along the medial aspect of the forearm, pierces the deep fascia at the elbow and joins the venae comitantes of the brachial artery to form the axillary vein at the lower border of the teres major muscle [2,3].In front of the elbow, the prominent median cubital vein links the cephalic vein and the basilic vein. It lies in the cubital fossa superficial to the bicipital aponeurosis. This vein receives a number of tributaries from the front of the forearm and gives off the deep median vein which pierces the fascial root of the antebrachial fossa to join the venae comitantes of the brachial artery [2, 4]. The deep fibular nerve (deep peroneal nerve) is one of the terminal branches of the common fibular (peroneal) nerve. It arises in the substance of the peroneus longus muscle on the lateral side of the neck of the fibula. The nerve enters the anterior compartment of leg by piercing the anterior fascial septum. It then descends deep to the extensor digitorum longus muscle, first lying lateral to the anterior tibial artery (in the proximal third of leg), then anterior (in the middle third), and finally lateral again (in the distal third) [2,3]. The anterior tibial artery is the smaller branch of the popliteal artery at the distal border of the popliteus muscle. It passes above the proximal part of the interosseous membrane, enters the anterior compartment of leg, runs distally as far as the ankle joint along with the venae comitantes and deep fibular nerve [3,5]. Distal to the ankle, on the dorsum of foot, the artery is renamed as the dorsalis pedis artery lateral to which run the deep peroneal nerve and its medial branch [1, 6]. The aim of the case report was to know about the variations of these structures concerned to prevent serious complications.