Diagnosis and treatment of the most common neuropathies following knee injuries and reconstructive surgery - A narrative review

A randomized controlled trial on oblique incisions for ACL reconstruction: Minimizing sensory deficit without compromising outcome

Aim

This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the impact of different incision types (oblique, vertical, and horizontal) for hamstring graft harvest on sensory disturbances and functional outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

Methods

A total of 118 patients were randomized into three groups: oblique incision (n = 40), vertical incision (n = 40), and horizontal incision (n = 38). Sensory deficits were assessed using Von Frey Filaments at three weeks, three months, and six months postoperatively. Functional outcomes were measured using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) 2000 Subjective Knee Evaluation score at the 6-month mark. Statistical analyses included ANOVA and post-hoc tests to compare sensory disturbances across groups.

Results

At 6 months, the oblique incision group demonstrated significantly less sensory disturbance (34.7 mm2 ± 38.6) than the vertical (43.8 mm2 ± 39.1) and horizontal (63.4 mm2 ± 42.4) incision groups (p = 0.031). No significant differences were found between the oblique and vertical incisions. The functional outcomes were comparable across all groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Compared with vertical and horizontal incisions, oblique incisions for hamstring graft harvesting significantly reduced sensory disturbances without compromising functional outcomes. These findings suggest that careful selection of incision type can improve postoperative sensory outcomes in ACL reconstruction.

Iatrogenic nerve injury and foot drop: Surgical results in 28 patients

Background:

Most peroneal nerve injuries resulting in foot drop are secondary to trauma or iatrogenic. Foot drop can occur due to potential complications from the hip, lumbosacral spine, and knee surgeries, which are critical to diagnose and manage.

Methods:

We reviewed our foot drop patients’ data to determine the incidence and iatrogenic causes of the injury and managed surgically by neurolysis of the peroneal nerve and transfer of functional fascicles of either the superficial peroneal or the tibial nerve to the deep peroneal nerve.

Results:

We found 28 iatrogenic foot drop patients who have had surgery and postoperative follow-up evaluations with us. Before the onset of foot drop, all except one (27 of 28) patient have had surgeries in other clinics before presenting to our institution. Foot drop in one patient was due to infection and hip wound after he was intubated and stayed in ICU for 4 weeks. Thirteen of the 28 patients have had lumbosacral (L3-4, L4-L5, and L5-S1) fusion or laminectomy, eight have had hip surgery, and five have had knee surgery. One patient had a fasciotomy due to compartment syndrome and another patient had two previous surgeries for posterior tibial entrapment and tarsal tunnel syndrome at other institutions. NCS and EMG reports showed that these patients had injuries to the peroneal or tibial nerve after their prior surgeries. One patient had a femoral nerve injury. Preoperatively, 10 patients had severe foot drop with muscle weakness and a functional grade of 0/5; 16 patients had grades ranging from 1 to 2/5; and two patients had 3/5. Overall, 23 of the 28 patients (83%) had improvement in their ankle dorsiflexion with anti-gravity and regained a healthier gait after the decompression, neurolysis, and nerve transfer at our clinic.

Conclusion:

Twenty-three of the 28 (83%) iatrogenic foot drop patients in this report regained a healthier gait with improved ankle dorsiflexion and anti-gravity after the neurolysis, and nerve transfer of the peroneal or tibial nerve and transfer of functional fascicles of either the superficial peroneal or the tibial nerve to the deep peroneal nerve at our clinic.