Evaluation of fibular muscles and prevalence of accessory fibular muscles on fetal cadavers

The purpose of this study was to determine clinical importance and morphology of the fibularis longus, brevis, tertius muscles (presented as fibular muscles in this study), and prevalence of accessory fibular muscles (AFM) on fetal cadavers. In this study, 200 limbs from 100 embalmed fetuses (54 male and 46 female) were studied. Morphology of fibular muscles and the presence of AFM were observed through dissection on fetal legs bilaterally. The absence of fibularis tertius muscle (FT) and the presence of AFM were identified. Length and length of the tendon of AFM were measured. Insertion of AFM was also identified. Mean values and standard deviations of all parameters according to trimesters were calculated. All parameters were increased with age during the fetal period. We determined the absence of FT; no FT was observed in 40 legs of 200 extremities (20%). The AFM was present in 7 of 200 specimens (3.5%). AFM muscles were classified into two types according to their site of origin. The present study has revealed the morphology of the fibular muscles and prevalence of the presence of AFM on fetal cadavers. In addition, it has revealed the morphometric development and prevalence of the absence of FT in a large series, and their clinical importance was discussed.