Peroneal tendon injuries. Report of thirty-eight operated cases.
OBJECTIVE
Peroneal tendon injuries are probably frequently overlooked causes of lateral ankle pain after distorsion trauma. We report a series of 38 patients with peroneal tendon injuries and outcome after operation.


METHODS
The mean age of the patients was 30 years (range, 13 to 61). All patients were operated by the same orthopaedic surgeon (SO) and the final outcome was evaluated.


RESULTS
Eighty-two per cent of the patients were competitive athletes. There were 11 partial and 3 total ruptures of the peroneus brevis tendon (PBT), 2 partial and 2 total ruptures of the peroneus longus tendon (PLT). Nine cases of subluxations or luxations were treated. There were also 5 cases of chronic peroneal tendinitis or tenosynovitis, 5 cases of peroneal tendon anomalies and 1 ganglion. The peroneal tendon lesion was associated to ankle instability in 19 cases (50%). In ninety percent of the cases the result of the operation was excellent or good.


CONCLUSIONS
The lateral ligaments are usually damaged in ankle distorsion injuries, but peroneal tendon lesions are often overlooked and probably more common cause of persistent lateral ankle pain than previously thought. Ruptures and luxations of the peroneal tendons need operative treatment in most cases.
Alanen
J
J
Paavo Nurmi Centre, Department of Physiology, University of Turku, Finland. jouko.alanen@utu.fi
Orava
S
S
Heinonen
O J
OJ
Ikonen
J
J
Kvist
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome