title: Treatment of isolated peroneus longus tears and a review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Isolated peroneus longus tendon tears are rare and represent a frequently overlooked source of lateral ankle pain and dysfunction. Only few cases of isolated peroneus longus tendon tears have been reported and a common treatment algorithm does not exist. The purpose of this study was to give an overview of the literature and to present our experience of 6 consecutive cases that have been treated successfully by operation and immobilizing cast.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comprehensive chart review was performed to compile each patient's age, sex, onset of symptoms, time between first symptoms and diagnosis, surgical findings, surgical treatment, length of follow-up, and outcome. The average patient age was 48 years (range 20-63 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute tears occurred in 4 cases, and 2 patients reported about a chronic onset of symptoms. The cause for acute tears was an acute inversion ankle sprain in all cases. Diagnosis was made after an average of 11 months (range 0.75-24 months). There were 2 complete tears, and other 4 were incomplete. An os peroneum was present in 2 cases. In 5 of 6 cases, the results after surgical treatment were excellent or good after a mean follow-up of 28.6 months (range 12-78 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that lateral ankle pain may be due to isolated acute or chronic peroneus longus tendon tears. Thorough clinical and radiological diagnosis is necessary to detect this uncommon injury in time. Patients with acute onset of symptoms and short time between symptoms and diagnosis tend to fare better than the chronic tears and delayed diagnosis. Surgical intervention yields successful and predictable results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Aachen Medical Center, Germany (DA, MT).
authors.forename: Dariusch
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arbab
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tingart
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abbara-Czardybon
authors.forename: Hazibullah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Waizy
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wingenfeld
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000150:complications; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D018409:Foot Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012421:Rupture; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: peroneus brevis tendon; peroneus longus tendon; tendon repair; tendon rupture; tendon tear