Natasha M Simske, Halle Kotchman, Caroline Pennacchio, Ian Dorney, Heather A Vallier
{"title":"Frequent Sural Nerve Injury with Posterior Approach for Ankle Fracture Fixation.","authors":"Natasha M Simske, Halle Kotchman, Caroline Pennacchio, Ian Dorney, Heather A Vallier","doi":"10.5435/JAAOS-D-23-00577","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The purpose of this study was to report the incidence of iatrogenic sural nerve injury in a large, consecutive sample of surgically managed ankle fractures and to identify factors associated with sural nerve injury and subsequent recovery. We hypothesize that a direct posterior approach may be associated with higher risk of iatrogenic sural nerve injury.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective cohort study of 265 skeletally mature patients who sustained ankle fractures over a 2-year period was done. All were treated with open reduction and internal fixation of fractured malleoli. Patient, injury, and treatment features were documented. The presence (n = 26, 9.8%) of sural nerve injury and recovery of sural nerve function were noted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All 26 sural nerve injuries were iatrogenic, occurring postoperatively after open reduction and internal fixation. Patients who sustained sural nerve injuries had more ankle fractures secondary to motor vehicle collisions (23.1% versus 9.2%), more associated trimalleolar fractures (69.2% versus 33.9%), and more Orthopaedic Trauma Association/AO 44B3 fractures (57.7% versus 25.1%), all P < 0.05. A posterior approach to the posterior malleolus through the prone position was used in 20.4% of patients. All 26 of the sural nerve injuries (100%) occurred when the patient was placed prone for a posterior approach, P < 0.001. Therefore, 26 of the 54 patients (48%) treated with a posterior approach sustained an iatrogenic sural nerve injury. 62% of patients had full recovery of sural nerve function with no residual numbness, and patients with nerve recovery had fewer associated fracture-dislocations (23.1% versus 100%, P = 0.003).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A posterior approach for posterior malleolus fixation was associated with a 48% iatrogenic sural nerve injury rate, with 62% recovering full function within 6 months of injury. Morbidity of this approach should be considered, and surgeons should be cautious with nerve handling.</p><p><strong>Level of evidence: </strong>Level III, Therapeutic.</p>","PeriodicalId":51098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.5435/JAAOS-D-23-00577","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/5/8 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ORTHOPEDICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to report the incidence of iatrogenic sural nerve injury in a large, consecutive sample of surgically managed ankle fractures and to identify factors associated with sural nerve injury and subsequent recovery. We hypothesize that a direct posterior approach may be associated with higher risk of iatrogenic sural nerve injury.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 265 skeletally mature patients who sustained ankle fractures over a 2-year period was done. All were treated with open reduction and internal fixation of fractured malleoli. Patient, injury, and treatment features were documented. The presence (n = 26, 9.8%) of sural nerve injury and recovery of sural nerve function were noted.
Results: All 26 sural nerve injuries were iatrogenic, occurring postoperatively after open reduction and internal fixation. Patients who sustained sural nerve injuries had more ankle fractures secondary to motor vehicle collisions (23.1% versus 9.2%), more associated trimalleolar fractures (69.2% versus 33.9%), and more Orthopaedic Trauma Association/AO 44B3 fractures (57.7% versus 25.1%), all P < 0.05. A posterior approach to the posterior malleolus through the prone position was used in 20.4% of patients. All 26 of the sural nerve injuries (100%) occurred when the patient was placed prone for a posterior approach, P < 0.001. Therefore, 26 of the 54 patients (48%) treated with a posterior approach sustained an iatrogenic sural nerve injury. 62% of patients had full recovery of sural nerve function with no residual numbness, and patients with nerve recovery had fewer associated fracture-dislocations (23.1% versus 100%, P = 0.003).
Conclusions: A posterior approach for posterior malleolus fixation was associated with a 48% iatrogenic sural nerve injury rate, with 62% recovering full function within 6 months of injury. Morbidity of this approach should be considered, and surgeons should be cautious with nerve handling.
期刊介绍：
The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons was established in the fall of 1993 by the Academy in response to its membership’s demand for a clinical review journal. Two issues were published the first year, followed by six issues yearly from 1994 through 2004. In September 2005, JAAOS began publishing monthly issues.
Each issue includes richly illustrated peer-reviewed articles focused on clinical diagnosis and management. Special features in each issue provide commentary on developments in pharmacotherapeutics, materials and techniques, and computer applications.
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