Interfascicular Reconstruction of the Peroneal Nerve after Knee Ligament Injury

Abstract

Peroneal palsy is the most common lower extremity nerve injury. Although most studies emphasize particularly poor prognosis after traction injuries to the peroneal nerve, interfascicular nerve grafting has emerged as a promising technique. We describe the case of a 20-year-old man who sustained a traction injury to the peroneal nerve (0/5 foot dorsiflexion and eversion) concomitant with tears of the anterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments. Interfascicular sural nerve grafting (10-14 cm in length) was performed 7 months after injury and 6 months after ligament reconstruction. The patient recovered motor strength (4+/5) in both anterior and lateral compartments by 2 years' postsurgery. The results obtained indicate that interfascicular nerve grafting is a valuable technique for reconstruction of the disrupted peroneal nerve; it provides sufficient benefit to justify the time, expense, and effort involved. An aggressive approach is thus recommended in patients with peroneal nerve disruption in the setting of multiple knee ligament injuries.