OBJECTIVE: Study of the number, sectorization and termination of the soleus veins. METHODS: Meticulous, stratigraphical, anatomical dissections were carried out in the posterior crural region of 100 legs of 50 fresh cadavers. Those belonging to subjects with congenital or acquired pathologies in the lower limbs were disregarded. After the skin was reflected on both sides, dissection of superficial and perforating veins, was performed. Then reflection of the subcutaneous tissue and fascia, detachment and reflection of the gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles, detachment of the tibial origin of the soleus muscle, differentiation of the soleus veins and study of morphometric parameters were carried out. The region was divided into six sectors: superior-medial, superior-lateral, medio-medial, medio-lateral, inferior-medial and inferior-lateral. Data obtained from Wilcoxon and Friedman nonparametric tests were utilized for statistical analysis. RESULTS: In the dissected legs 4679 soleus veins were found. The sector with the greatest number of soleus veins was the superior-lateral (1529 veins - 32.7%), followed by the mediomedial (1.256 veins - 26.8%) and the mediolateral sectors (975 veins - 20.8%). The extremities drained into communicant veins (1.207 veins - 25.8%), posterior tibial veins (964 veins - 20.6%), peroneal veins (709 veins - 15.2%) and into 32 other types (1.799 veins 38.4%). CONCLUSION: The venous drainage of the soleus muscle is carried out by a great number of soleus veins which are frequently located in the superior-lateral, mediomedial and mediolateral sectors, more often going into the posterior tibial, peroneal and communicant veins.
Veins; Muscle; Skeletal; Lower extremity; Humans; Anatomy
