Introduction: The popularity of ankle arthroscopy as a diagnostic and theurapetic method is growing. Numerous pathological conditions serve as indicators for an application of the method. Just a few of those examples are bone and soft-tissue impingement syndromes, osteochondral defects, fractures, osteoarthrosis. Unfortunately, one of the most frequent complications of ankle arthroscopies is the iatrogenic lesion of the peroneal superficial nerve. The reason for this is the close contact between the position of the nerve and the antero-lateral access point for the arthroscopy. The preoperative localization of the nerve reduces greatly the risk of its injury, therefore, reducing the risk of paraesthesia, hypoesthesia, and dissatisfaction for both the patient and the doctor.
Aim: The aim of this paper is to introduce a method for topographic localization of the peroneal superficial nerve.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-two arthroscopies were performed for a period of 6 months (02.2017-08.2017). Preoperative topographic localization of the nerve was applied before all of them.
Results: No clinical signs and symptoms of peroneal superficial nerve lesion were observed in 21 of the cases. Only one case showed postoperative transitory paresthesia for a period of 27 days.
Conclusion: The preoperative topographic localization of the peroneal superficial nerve has a very important part in the prevention of postoperative complications after ankle arthroscopy.
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