Fibre size and content of the anterior tibial nerve of the foot.

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Abstract
Twenty-five samples of the terminal branch of the anterior tibial nerve were obtained at necropsy from 23 subjects without evidence of peripheral nerve disease. Total fiber counts for each nerve were made, fiber density was calculated as the number of fibers per sq. mm of intraperineurial area and histograms of fiber size were constructed. With increasing age the decrease in total fiber count was significant at the 0.001 probability level and the decrease in fiber density was significant at the 0.01 level. These data suggest that there is no advantage in expressing results in the form of fiber density when total myelinated fiber counts can be made. In the older subjects a significant decrease in the proportion of large fibers was also noted. Since the total fiber count was also markedly reduced in these subjects, many fibers had degenerated and disappeared completely in addition to those which were capable of regeneration or remyelination. In view of the wide range of variation found it seems that the usefulness of anterior tibial nerve biopsy as a diagnostic procedure in patients with generalized neurological disease is limited.