ARTHROSCOPIC TREATMENT OF POSTERIOR ANKLE IMPINGEMENT IN PEDIATRIC ATHLETES AND ITS OUTCOMES - A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Background: Posterior ankle impingement (PAI) is a known cause of posterior ankle pain in athletes performing repetitive plantarflexion motions, such as in soccer. Even though it is well-described in adults, literature on PAI in pediatric patients is scarce. Purpose: The purpose was to describe prospective outcomes after arthroscopic management of posterior ankle impingement in pediatric and adolescent patients. Methods: An IRB-approved prospective study was performed at a tertiary children’s hospital from 2016-2020. Patients <18 years of age who were diagnosed with posterior ankle impingement and underwent posterior ankle arthroscopy with minimum 3-month post-operative follow-up were included. Data collected included pre-operative demographics and sporting activities, clinical and radiologic findings. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores, and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scores were collected at the initial and follow-up visits. Results: A total of 50 patients (65 ankles; 28 females), were included with mean age 13.3 years. Football and soccer were the most commonly implicated sports. All patients underwent initial conservative management including relative rest, immobilization and/or physical therapy for an average period of 44 weeks. The indication for surgery was failure of conservative management to improve symptoms. All patients underwent posterior ankle arthroscopy with arthroscopic confirmation of impingement pathology followed by debridement. The pathology was predominantly bony (Os trigonum, Stieda process) in 54%, and predominantly soft tissue (low flexor hallucis longus belly, ganglion cyst in the ankle, hypertrophied posterior ankle ligaments) in 46%. All 50 patients (100%) returned to sports at an average 8.5 ± 4.1 weeks. 51 ankles had radiographs done at 1 years post-operatively which did not show recurrence or any new osseous abnormalities. At mean follow up of 26 months, there was a statistically significant improvement in VAS scores (7.0 to 0.53, p<0.05) and AOFAS scores (63.9 to 95.6, p<0.05) from pre- to post-operative final follow-up. Complications included numbness over lateral part of the heel (sural nerve distribution) in 1 patient. Conclusion: The first prospective study on pediatric PAI demonstrates that arthroscopic treatment, after failed conservative management, allowed patients to return to prior level of activity and sports, and resulted in improved pain relief and higher functional parameters. Complications associated with this procedure were minimal.

Posterior Ankle Arthroscopy for Flexor Hallucis Longus Entrapment: A Case Report

Introduction: Stenosing tenosynovitis is a chronic disorder frequently observed in finger triggering of a digit. Regarding the toes, although entrapment of the flexor hallucis longus (FHL) has already been reported in a few cases among sports players, the clinical condition is uncommon. Besides, the case without any specific causes is particularly rare. Case Report: We report the case of a 26-year-old male with FHL entrapment. Even though he was unaware of any cause, he felt tenderness on the posteromedial side of his left ankle, and his great toe was locked in the flex position. Magnetic resonance imaging indicated effusion in the tendon sheath of the FHL and the possibility of a partial tear of the FHL. We hypothesized that the scar tissue secondary to the partial tear of the FHL may have been irritated at the retrotalar pulley below the sustentaculum tali, where the FHL glides. Therefore, posterior ankle arthroscopy was performed for the treatment of the FHL entrapment. Conclusion: Orthopedic surgeons should list this pathology as a differential diagnosis of posterior ankle pain, even in non-athletes. Keywords: ankle arthroscopy, flexor hallucis longus, stenosing tenosynovitis.

Posteromedial tendinous and neurovascular structures of the ankle: the correlation between arthroscopic and open dissection in a cadaveric study

Objectives: Posterior ankle arthroscopy has advanced considerably in recent years. A large number of posteromedial pathologies can now be treated by arthroscopy on an outpatient basis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of a posteromedial ankle arthroscopy with an open control procedure. Methods: Twenty cadavers were dissected (twenty-four ankles). We first performed a posterior ankle arthroscopy using the classical ankle approaches: posteromedial and posterolateral. A third approach was created at the base of the posterior tibial tendon, posterior to the colliculus of the medial malleolus. Through this opening a hook was introduced to protect the posteromedial neurovascular bundle. A posteromedial arthroscopy was then performed, from the flexor hallucis longus tendon to the medial malleolus, as far as possible. The second part consisted of performing an open posteromedial dissection of the ankle to determine whether there were lesions of the posteromedial neurovascular bundle. Results: Tenolysis of the flexor hallucis longus, flexor digitorum longus and posterior tibial tendons was successfully performed. Exposure of the posteromedial ankle junction was satisfactory enough to enable the performance of various surgical procedures in this zone: such as tenolysis, a posteromedial intra-articular procedure. During the open procedure, no lesions were noted in the neurovascular bundle as all the structures were intact. Conclusion: We arthroscopically dissected the posteromedial ankle junction. A safe reproducible technique to explore the posteromedial ankle that enables arthrolysis, posterior tibial nerve exploration, tendon surgery, and treatment of talar dome lesions was described.

Two-Year Outcomes of Posterior Ankle Arthroscopy: A Case Series

The aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes and complications after posterior ankle arthroscopy for the treatment of posterior ankle impingement syndrome, in a local population with a single surgeon series. Two-portal posterior ankle or hindfoot arthroscopy is an alternative option to open surgery in cases of posterior ankle impingement, that showed similar results but with less morbidity and faster recovery. There has been increasing interest in minimally invasive surgical techniques. Indications include extra- and intra-articular conditions and range from bony, cartilaginous to soft tissue pathology. Posterior ankle arthroscopy has been shown to be a good option in cases that are refractory to a period of conservative therapy. Posterior ankle arthroscopy also has known complications of sural nerve damage laterally and neurovascular bundle injury medially and also a steep learning curve that has been studied in the context of os trigonum excision. There have been few or no studies on the local Singaporean population and this article seeks to describe the various indications, results, and complications in the local Singaporean population by a single surgeon. Levels of Evidence: Level IV: Case series

Posterior Ankle Arthroscopy for Osteochondromatosis of the Posterior Ankle Extra-Articular Space with a Longitudinal Tear of Flexor Hallucis Longus

We report a rare case of osteochondromatosis of the posterior ankle extra-articular space with a longitudinal tear of flexor hallucis longus (FHL). A 77-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with an approximately 4-year history of pain and swelling in the right posterior ankle joint without obvious trauma. The pain had worsened in the previous 2 years. On presentation, she had tenderness at the posteromedial and posterolateral ankle. Imaging revealed several ossified loose bodies in the posterior ankle extra-articular space. We removed the loose bodies, performed tenosynovectomy around the FHL, and released the FHL tendon using a posterior arthroscopic technique via standard posterolateral and posteromedial portals. A longitudinal tear and fibrillation were detected in the FHL. The patient was able to return to her daily activities approximately 3 weeks after surgery. At the 1-year follow-up visit, she continued to have minor discomfort and slight swelling on the posteromedial aspect of the right ankle but had no recurrence of the ossified loose bodies. To our knowledge, this is the first report of osteochondromatosis of the posterior ankle extra-articular space with a longitudinal tear of the FHL that was treated by removal of loose bodies, tenosynovectomy around the FHL, and release of the FHL tendon via posterior ankle arthroscopy.

Endoscopic Treatment of Posterior Ankle Impingement Secondary to Os Trigonum in Recreational Athletes

Background: The os trigonum (OT)—the most common accessory bone of the foot—although usually asymptomatic, may cause posterior ankle impingement syndrome (PAIS), which may be a severely debilitating problem for recreational or competitive athletes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate effectiveness of posterior ankle arthroscopy and to assess the outcome in the treatment of PAIS secondary to OT impingement or OT fractures within a group of young athletes and their return to previous sports level. Methods: From 2011 to 2018, a retrospective review of 81 recreational athletes of mean age 27.8 years was performed. All patients were diagnosed with PAIS due to OT pathology and were operated on endoscopically with resection of the OT. Pre- and postoperative clinical evaluation were performed at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years based on visual analog scale (VAS), ankle range of motion (ROM), American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot score, and the Foot & Ankle Disability Index (FADI) scores, in a follow-up of at least 2 years. Results: VAS score was significantly improved from an average of 7.5 (5-9) preoperatively to 1.9 (1-3) at 3 months postoperatively and to 0.6 (0-2) and 0.3 (0 -1) at 1 and 2 years postoperatively. Ankle ROM was significantly improved from an average of 24.8 (10-35) preoperatively to 58.0 (50-65) at 3 months postoperatively and to 64.0 (50-65) at 1 year and 64.7 (60-65) at 2 years postoperatively. AOFAS and FADI scores were significantly improved from 39.4 (18-55) and 49.7 (42.3-62.5) preoperatively to 85.2 (74-89) and 87.3 (81.7-88.5) postoperatively at 3 months to 97.7 (85-100) and 97.9 (93.3-100) postoperatively at 1 year, respectively ( P < .001). Only 5 patients dropped to a lower activity level. There were 5 complications (4 transient). Conclusion: Endoscopic treatment of PAIS due to OT pathology demonstrated excellent results. Posterior ankle arthroscopy was an effective treatment and allowed for a prompt return to a high activity level of their athletic performance. Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study / retrospective case series.

Posterior Arthroscopic Treatment of a Massive Effusion in the Flexor Hallucis Longus Tendon Sheath Associated with Stenosing Tenosynovitis and Os Trigonum

We report a rare case of massive accumulation of fluid in the flexor hallucis longus tendon sheath with stenosing tenosynovitis and os trigonum. A 34-year-old woman presented to our hospital with pain and swelling in the posteromedial aspect of the left ankle joint after an ankle sprain approximately 8 months earlier. There was tenderness at the posteromedial aspect of the ankle, and the pain worsened on dorsiflexion of the left great toe. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed massive accumulation of fluid around the flexor hallucis longus tendon. We removed the os trigonum, performed tenosynovectomy around the flexor hallucis longus, and released the flexor hallucis longus tendon via posterior arthroscopy using standard posterolateral and posteromedial portals. At 1 week postoperatively, the patient was asymptomatic and able to resume her daily activities. There has been no recurrence of the massive accumulation of fluid around the flexor hallucis longus tendon as of 1 year after the surgery. To our knowledge, this is a rare case report of extreme massive effusion in the flexor hallucis longus tendon sheath with stenosing tenosynovitis and os trigonum treated successfully by removal of the os trigonum, tenosynovectomy around the flexor hallucis longus, and release of the flexor hallucis longus tendon via posterior ankle arthroscopy.

Posterior arthroscopic treatment of ankle osteochondral lesions: technical note

Osteochondral lesions of the ankle are lesions that involve the cartilage and the subchondral bone of the talus. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical results of a consecutive case series of posterior osteochondral lesions of the talus treated with debridement and bone marrow stimulation by means of posterior ankle arthroscopy. We hypothesise that posterior ankle arthroscopy is an effective and safe procedure to treat lesions less than 10–15 mm in size and 5 mm in depth located in zones 7, 8 and 9 of the Raikin and Elias grid. We prospectively analysed the outcomes of 36 patients who underwent posterior endoscopic treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) clinical rating system and the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure were used and patient satisfaction was evaluated. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was complementarily used with these measures to evaluate the clinical behaviour of the patients. The average AOFAS score improved from 42.3 preoperatively to 89.29 postoperatively. All patients were satisfied with the surgical outcome and would choose this surgical treatment again. Three minor and transitory postoperative complications (5.55%) were observed: one patient with pain on the portals, one ecchymosis and one hypoesthesia of the heel. The average score on VAS improved from 7.75 preoperatively to 1.54 postoperatively, with an average improvement of 6.21 points. 75% of patients were able to resume their ‘preinjury’ physical activity level. The posterior arthroscopic approach with bone marrow stimulation is technically simple and is a safe and effective procedure to treat posterior talar osteochondral lesions. It has few complications, thus reducing time to return to sports and/or work activity.Level of evidenceIV, case series.