Background: Irreparable peroneal tendon tears are uncommon and require complex surgical decision making. Intercalary segment allograft reconstruction has been previously described as a treatment option; however, there are no reports of the outcomes of this technique in the literature. We describe our technique and present our results using this method.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify all patients who underwent intercalary allograft reconstruction of the peroneal tendons. Mechanism of injury, concomitant operative procedures, pertinent radiographic findings, pre- and postoperative physical examination, intercalary graft length, medical history, visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain, Short Form-12 (SF-12) physical health survey, Lower Extremity Functional Score (LEFS), and complications were reviewed.
Results: Fourteen patients with peroneal tendon ruptures requiring reconstruction were identified. Mean follow-up was 17 months (range, 7-47 months; median, 12 months). The average length of the intercalary segment reconstructed was 10.8 ± 3.8 cm (range, 6-20 cm). The average postoperative VAS score decreased to 1.0 ± 1.4 (P = .0005). No patient had a higher postoperative pain score than preoperative pain score. Average postoperative eversion strength as categorized by the Medical Research Council grading scale improved to 4.8 ± 0.5 (P = .001). The average SF-12 score improved to 48.8 ± 7.8 (P = .02). The average LEFS improved to 86.4. ± 14.9 (P = .00001). Four patients experienced sensory numbness in the sural nerve distribution, and 2 of these were transient. There were no postoperative wound healing complications, infections, tendon reruptures, or reoperations. No allograft associated complications were encountered. All patients returned to their preinjury activity levels.
Conclusion: Allograft reconstruction of the peroneal tendons can improve strength, decrease pain, and yield satisfactory patient-reported outcomes. It can be performed without incurring the deleterious effects associated with tendon transfer procedures. We believe that allograft reconstruction is a safe and useful alternative in the treatment of irreparable peroneal tendon ruptures.
Level of evidence: Level IV, retrospective case series.
Keywords: allograft; peroneal tendon; tendon reconstruction; tendon rupture.