Anatomical Variations in the Bifurcation of the Sciatic Nerve, A Cadaveric Study and its Clinical Implications

Sciatic is Greek word derived from “Ischiadicus”. The sciatic nerve is also known as the ischiadic nerve or ischiatic nerve, is a large nerve in humans and other animals. It is the longest and widest single nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve is comprised of five nerves. It is formed on the right and left hand side of the lower spine. It is derived from the spinal nerves L4-S3. It contains fibers from both the anterior and posterior divisions of the lumbosacral plexus. It runs from each side of the lower spine, deep in the gluteal region, back of the thigh all the way down to the foot via its branches, connecting the spinal cord with the leg and foot muscles. It supplies nearly the whole of the skin of the leg, the muscles of the back of the thigh, and those of the leg and the foot. Commonly at the apex of popliteal fossa (PF) the sciatic nerve bifurcates (85-89%) into Tibial nerve (TN) and Common Peroneal nerve (CPN). Pain caused by a compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve is called sciatica. The sciatica symptoms include nerve pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness. It may include inability to walk depending upon the where the pressure of the sciatic nerve occurs. Investigations are CT-scan, MRI, EMG (electrical activity of the muscle) and Nerve conduction test and Blood tests are routinely done to identify nerve pathology.