Peroneal Nerve Function Before and Following Surgical Excision of a Proximal Fibular Osteochondroma

Peroneal Nerve Decompression in Patients with Multiple Hereditary Exostoses: Indications, Complications, and Recurrence

BACKGROUND

To our knowledge, there have been no studies examining peroneal nerve decompression and proximal fibular osteochondroma excision exclusively in patients with multiple hereditary exostoses (MHE). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the indications, complications, and recurrence associated with nerve decompression and proximal fibular osteochondroma excision in patients with MHE.

METHODS

The records on patients with MHE undergoing peroneal nerve decompression from 2009 to 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Indications, clinical status, surgical technique, recurrence, and complications were recorded and were analyzed using the Fisher exact test, logistic regression, and the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

There were 126 limbs identified in patients with MHE who underwent peroneal nerve decompression. The most common indications were pain over the proximal fibula, tibialis anterior and/or extensor hallucis longus weakness, and dysesthesias and/or neuropathic pain. Seven cases experienced postoperative foot drop as a complication of the decompression and osteochondroma excision. Logistic regression found significant relationships between complications and excision of anterior osteochondromas (odds ratio [OR], 5.21; p = 0.0062), proximal fibular excision (OR, 14.73; p = 0.0051), and previous decompression (OR, 5.77; p = 0.0124). The recurrence rate was 13.8%, and all recurrences occurred in patients who were skeletally immature at the index procedure. The probability of skeletally immature patients not experiencing recurrence was 88% at 3 years postoperatively and 73% at 6 years postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

Indications for peroneal nerve decompression included neurologic symptoms and pain. The odds of a complication increased with excision of anterior osteochondromas and previous decompression. Recurrence of symptoms following decompression and osteochondroma excision was found exclusively in skeletally immature patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level III . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Peroneal Nerve Palsy Caused by Proximal Fibular Solitary Osteochondroma: Case Report and Literature Review

Osteochondroma is a relatively common benign tumor of the bone, and compressive neuropathies due to osteochondroma are comparatively rare. Here, we present a rare case of osteochondroma of the fibular head that caused peroneal nerve palsy in an 8-year-old girl. Physical examination revealed 0/5 tibialis anterior, 1/5 extensor hallucis longus, and 1/5 peroneal brevis muscle power—according to the manual muscle testing grading system, as well as numbness on the lateral side of the right leg and the back of the foot. Radiological examination and ultrasound revealed a bone tumor in the head of the right fibula. Magnetic resonance imaging ruled out spinal nerve root compression. It was discovered that the bone tumor in the fibular head had compressed and displaced the common peroneal nerve. The patient underwent surgical decompression of the right peroneal nerve. A bone region measuring 22 × 14 × 8 mm was removed. Three months postoperatively, the preoperative neurological deficits were found to be nearly resolved. The patient presented with a foot drop for 1 year, but symptoms resolved 3 months after surgery. Conventional wisdom states that surgery should be performed within 3 months, but we recommend that surgery be performed as soon as diagnosis is made even in cases with a long history, as it may improve patient symptoms and outcomes.

Neuromonitoring for Proximal Fibular Osteochondroma Excision

BACKGROUND

The peroneal nerve is at risk when excising tumors in the proximal fibula. The rate of nerve injuries during proximal fibular tumor resection varies from 3% to 20%. Our goal was to report our experience with resection of osteochondromas in the proximal fibula and describe the technique and utility of neuromonitoring during excision of proximal fibular osteochondromas (PFO).

METHODS

Patients with a diagnosis of symptomatic PFO who had undergone excision at one institution from 1994 to 2018 were included. An institutional review board-approved retrospective review was performed. Intraoperative neuromonitoring was provided from 2006 on by a single group utilizing a multimodality protocol.

RESULTS

This study contains 29 patients who had excision of osteochondromas in the proximal fibula. Of these 29 consecutively monitored patients, there were 34 involved extremities. Intraoperative neuromonitoring alerts occurred in 10/29 (34.5%) procedures, which included 3 electromyography (EMG) (30%), 2 motor-evoked potential (20%), 1 somatosensory-evoked potential (10%), and 4 alerts with a combination of EMG/motor-evoked potential/somatosensory-evoked potential changes (40%). The interventions that were taken resulted in resolution of the neuromonitoring changes in all procedures. Postoperatively, we noted 2 (6.9%) new mild sensory deficits, which resolved during follow up. There were 3 patients in whom pre-existing sensory-motor deficits improved but not completely after surgery, 1 motor weakness, and 2 with residual paresthesia. In those initially presenting with paresis, there was improvement in 8 of the 8 extremities by the last follow-up visit. Pain as a symptom was resolved in all cases. There were no iatrogenic foot drop injuries. The average follow up was 32.2 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Neuromonitoring during PFO excision demonstrated a high number of alerts, all of which resolved following timely corrective action. The use of neuromonitoring may help decrease the risk of iatrogenic postoperative neurological deficits following fibular osteochondroma surgery.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV.