BACKGROUND: The saphenous nerve has great importance on the sensitivity of the lower limb. In its normal course, it enters the adductor canal and travels under the sartorius muscle, on the medial side of the thigh.
METHODS: The anatomical variation was found accidentally during routine cadaveric dissection of the thigh at the Human Anatomy Laboratory of the Department of Morphophysiology of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Minas Gerais (FCMMG).
RESULTS: A different pattern of path of the saphenous nerve was found, which appears to perforate the sartorius muscle.
CONCLUSIONS: Complaints of pain in the lower limbs are highly prevalent in the adult population. Saphenous neuropathy is a pathological entity that is associated with such a clinic and may have compression or trauma as its etiology. In the context of compression, it can be caused due to the unusual nerve path, as described in the present study. In trauma, knowledge of this variation is important to prevent iatrogenic damage to nervous tissue during surgical procedures.
CONCLUSIONS: The anatomic variation presented may be related to the symptom of pain in the lower limbs and is also relevant in the surgical context, in order to prevent complications.

Background/purpose: Plantar foot pain of neural origin is a challenging diagnosis to identify and treat. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the novel way in which cupping was utilized in conjunction with neural glides to better diagnose and manage a patient who presented with symptoms of peripheral neuropathic plantar foot pain. Case description: A 65-year-old male presented to physical therapy with the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis by an orthopedic surgeon. The presentation included a diffuse area of pain toward the medial border of the foot with a peripheral neuropathic pain description. Cupping was used to identify pain in the saphenous nerve distribution and aided in resolving symptoms with the concomitant use of lower quarter neural glides. Outcome: At discharge and 1-year follow-up, the patient had a full resolution of symptoms and a return to prior level of function. Self-report outcomes included the numeric pain rating scale and the lower extremity functional scale. Discussion: This case is the first to describe the use of cupping combined with neural glides in the diagnosis and management of peripheral neuropathic pain from the saphenous nerve that was previously diagnosed as plantar fasciitis. The proposed mechanisms behind this treatment are also reviewed. Conclusion: In patients that present with symptoms of plantar fasciitis, testing neural glides combined with cupping may be warranted to confirm or refute the presence of a peripheral neuropathic pain source. Further studies are necessary to determine the mechanisms and further utility of the combined interventions in well controlled trials. Level of Evidence: Level IV.