Tibialis Posterior Tendon Dislocation: A Review and Suggested Classification

Intermittent flexor hallucis longus dislocation: ultrasound findings

We report a case of intermittent dislocation of the flexor hallucis longus at its passage in the retro-malleolar area, related to a post-traumatic detachment of the retrotalar pulley from the medial tubercle of the talus. High-resolution ultrasound depicted the anterior dislocation of the tendon during dynamic stress, by asking the patient to flex his hallux against the examiner resistance, with the ankle in slight dorsiflexion. The tendon normally relocated after the dynamic maneuver. Tendon dislocation was associated with a painful snap.

Retromalleolar groove morphology of the tibialis posterior tendon (TPT) in patients without TPT pathology evaluated by axial computed tomography scans

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the shape of the retromalleolar groove of the tibialis posterior tendon (TPT) using computed tomography (CT).

METHODS

CT images of patients with foot or ankle pathologies were retrospectively reviewed. The morphology of the retromalleolar groove of the TPT was assessed at two different levels: the ankle joint and 10 mm above the ankle joint. The groove shape was classified into three types; concave, flat, or irregular. In cases with concave grooves, the width and depth of the grooves were measured.

RESULTS

Of the 116 ankles from 116 subjects included in this study, 80.2 % showed a shallow concave shape (mean depth, 1.6 mm) at the two scan levels. The shape and width of the groove differed significantly by gender, although there was no significant difference in the groove depth.

CONCLUSION

Approximately 80% showed a shallow concave groove of the TPT. The groove characteristics differed by gender, although there was no significant difference in the groove depth.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Cross-sectional cohort study; Level of evidence, Ⅳ.

Lower leg muscle recovery takes at least 12 months for functional tests to recover after late reconstruction of the tibialis posterior tendon retinaculum

Traumatic dislocation of the tibialis posterior tendon is an extremely rare injury with few reported cases. It is a complicated injury with high risk of misdiagnosis and mistreatment. MRI is the best tool for diagnosis. Surgical treatment has been reported to have a better outcome than conservative treatment. In the present case, a 23-year-old female athlete sustained a sports-related traumatic tibialis posterior tendon dislocation with retinaculum rupture. The patient underwent late reconstruction of the ruptured retinaculum followed by a personalised rehabilitation programme. Full recovery was achieved after 19 months according to European Foot and Ankle Society Score and Foot and Ankle Outcome Score. Lower leg muscle strength continued to improve until 6 months after surgery in isokinetic strength and physical performance tests.

Simultaneous traumatic dislocation of the posterior tibial tendon and long peroneal tendon: a case report

Background

Viewing the existing literature, one can find several documents about dislocation of the peroneal tendons. Clinical findings, diagnostics, and therapy are well described. Instead, the list of documents describing dislocations of the posterior tibial tendon is short. We found no case in which a dislocation of both long peroneal tendon and posterior tibial tendon is described.

Case presentation

We present a case of a 29-year-old male patient who sustained an ankle injury after a fall at a boulder gym. He admitted himself with severe pain, tenderness, and swelling of his left ankle. Dislocation of the posterior tibial tendon and simultaneous dislocation of the long peroneal tendon was diagnosed using x-ray, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Transosseous suture repair with periosteal augmentation of the flexor retinaculum was performed at the medial malleolus. At the lateral malleolus, transosseous suture was used to repair the superior retinaculum. The ankle was immobilized following surgery. The patient underwent physical therapy afterwards. The treatment resulted in good recovery, and the patient returned to the same level of performance at rock climbing.

Conclusion

Our novel finding is that simultaneously sustained dislocations of the posterior tibial tendon and the long peroneal tendon may occur and can be successfully treated as if each injury is treated individually. Level of evidence Level V, case report.

Ultrasound Features of Ankle Retinacula: Normal Appearance and Pathologic Findings

Disorders of retinacula are frequent in acute and repetitive microtrauma of the ankle. Ultrasound (US), thanks to its spatial resolution and dynamic capabilities, is routinely used in the evaluation of the posttraumatic ankle for accurate delineation of ligaments and tendons. In addition, US can provide a depiction of normal retinacula and a detailed assessment of their pathologic changes. An accurate US assessment of ankle retinacula is helpful in choosing the proper treatment. In this pictorial essay, we briefly review the normal anatomy of ankle retinacula, describe their normal US appearance, and present a wide range of US pathologic abnormalities.