Immediate Nerve Transfer for Treatment of Peroneal Nerve Palsy Secondary to an Intraneural Ganglion: Case Report and Review

Outcomes of Nerve Transfers in Peroneal Nerve Palsy

Background: The objective of this work is to: (i) evaluate the postoperative outcomes after lower extremity nerve transfer (LENT) in patients with peroneal nerve palsy, and (ii) evaluate the patient and surgical factors that best predict successful restoration of ankle dorsiflexion following nerve transfer. Methods: A retrospective cohort of prospectively collected data included all patients who underwent LENT (2010-2018). Two independent reviewers performed data collection. Primary outcome measures were: (i) clinically with British Medical Research Council (MRC) strength assessments, and (ii) electrodiagnostically with nascent motor unit potentials. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive and nonparametric statistics. Results: Nine patients (56% male, mean age 38.3, range 18-57 years) underwent LENT surgery a mean of 4.3 months following injury (range 2.2-6.4 months). Mean follow-up was 15.6 months (range 9.1-28.2 months). Postoperatively, ankle dorsiflexion (P  =  .015) and ankle eversion (P  =  .041) increased significantly. After surgery, 44% achieved MRC 4, 33% obtained MRC 1 motor recovery, and 22% sustained MRC 0. A shorter time to surgery was associated with significantly better outcomes (P  =  .049). Conclusions: It appears that there is a bimodal distribution between responders and nonresponders to LENT for foot drop. Further research is required to elucidate patient and surgical factors that prognosticate success.

The current trend of proximal tibiofibular ganglion cyst: A summary of 7 case series and 61 case reports

Purpose

To review the different types of ganglion cysts surrounding the proximal tibio-fibular joint, their management options, outcomes, and recurrence.

Design

Descriptive analytical review.

Results

7 case series consisting of a total of 159 patients and 61 case reports consisting of 80 patients (with three patients having bilateral pathology) were included in this review. (Total cysts 159 + 83 = 242). The mean age was 41 years, and 71 % of the patients were males. 96.5 % of the cases were managed operatively, out of which 98 % of patients felt improvement in local symptoms and 71.5 % had improvement in neurological symptoms. Complete excision of the cyst is the primary mode of operative management. Many added procedures with complete excision are to mitigate the risk of recurrence. The recurrence rate of aspiration, simple excision alone, simple excision with recurrent articular branch neurectomy, and simple excision with PTFJ procedures were 77 %, 56 %, 11.5 %, and 0 %, respectively. Outcomes beyond recurrence were poorly reported.

Conclusion

There is not enough literature regarding the topic from which any formal systematic review can be done. Our summary suggests that aspiration alone or with steroid injection is associated with the highest recurrence rates among all the procedures. Complete excision with recurrent articular branch neurectomy should be the primary management. Revision cyst excision in isolation is an inadequate treatment option, therefore should be done in conjunction with PTFJ arthrodesis, which reduces the recurrence rates. Better quality studies are needed that report patient-centered outcomes and morbidities following PTFJ procedures.

Treatment approach to isolated common peroneal nerve palsy by mechanism of injury: Systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participants' data

BACKGROUND

We reviewed the individual participant data of patients who sustained isolated common peroneal nerve (CPN) injuries resulting in foot drop. Functional results were compared between eight interventions for CPN palsies to determine step-wise treatment approaches for the underlying mechanisms of nerve injury.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL databases were searched. PRISMA-IPD and Cochrane guidelines were followed in the data search. Eligible patients sustained isolated CPN injuries resulting in their foot drop. Patients were stratified by mechanisms of nerve injury, ages, duration of motor symptoms, and nerve defect/zone of injury sizes, and were compared by functional results (poor = 0, fair = 1, good = 2, excellent = 3), using meta-regression between interventions. Interventions evaluated were primary neurorrhaphy, neurolysis, nerve grafts, partial nerve transfer, neuromusculotendinous transfer, tendon transfer, ankle-foot orthosis (AFO), and arthrodesis.

RESULTS

One hundred and forty-four studies included 1284 patients published from 1985 through 2020. Transection/Cut: Excellent functional results following tendon transfer (OR: 126, 95%CI: 6.9, 2279.7, p=0.001), compared to AFO. Rupture/Avulsion: Excellent functional results following tendon transfer (OR: 73985359, 95%CI: 73985359, 73985359, p<0.001), nerve graft (OR: 4465917, 95%CI: 1288542, 15478276, p<0.001), and neuromusculotendinous transfer (OR: 42277348, 95%CI: 3001397, 595514030, p<0.001), compared to AFO. Traction/Stretch: Good functional results following tendon transfer (OR: 4.1, 95%CI: 1.17, 14.38, p=0.028), compared to AFO. Entrapment: Excellent functional results following neurolysis (OR: 4.6, 95%CI: 1.3, 16.6, p=0.019), compared to AFO.

CONCLUSIONS

Functional results may be optimized for treatments by the mechanism of nerve injury. Transection/Cut and Traction/Stretch had the best functional results following tendon transfer. Rupture/Avulsion had the best functional results following tendon transfer, nerve graft, or neuromusculotendinous transfer. Entrapment had the best functional results following neurolysis.

Acute Complete Foot Drop Caused by Intraneural Ganglion Cyst without a Prior Traumatic Event

Intraneural ganglion cysts are benign soft-tissue masses located in the epineurium of peripheral nerves. They originate from nearby joint connections via articular branches. Traumatic events seem to play a role in their pathogenesis as well. Clinical manifestations include pain over the area of the cyst, palpable tender mass, hypoesthesia, and muscle weakness depending on the affected nerve. Our case highlights an uncommon clinical manifestation of this entity with acute foot drop, as the primary symptom, without any previous traumatic event, enriching by this way the current diagnostic thinking process of clinical physicians. We report a case of a 42-year-old military officer who presented to our emergency department with acute foot drop that appeared during a march. Initially, the common peroneal palsy was misdiagnosed as L5-S1 disc herniation, but investigation with lumbar MRI scan led to rejection of our primary diagnosis. After performing EMG of the lower extremity and knee MRI, an intraneural ganglion cyst of the common peroneal nerve was diagnosed. Patient was treated with surgical decompression of the cyst, followed by ligation and complete resection of the articular branch, as well as disarticulation of the superior tibiofibular joint. At a twelve-month follow-up, the patient showed significant functional recovery. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of intraneural ganglion cyst manifested with an acute complete foot drop without a clear prior traumatic event. We underline the need for a high index of suspicion when dealing with cases of acute peroneal palsy without any accompanying symptoms.

Benign peripheral nerve tumors

Benign peripheral nerve tumors encompass a wide range of neoplasms and non-neoplastic tumor like lesions. Some of these lesions if not encountered in the setting of genetic syndromes, are occurring sporadically. The principles of oncology should be respectfully followed in every step of diagnostic approach and surgical management. Albeit, classified as benign, some of them do have different level of malignant potential, thus the treating physicians should be aware of that to avoid possible pitfalls with devastating outcomes. This article reviews the most common benign peripheral nerve tumors discussing the clinicopathological findings, imaging appearance and the current trend in their approach.

Intraneural Synovial Cyst of the Common Peroneal Nerve: An Unusual Cause of Foot Drop with Four-Year Follow-Up

In our case report, we describe a 55-year-old male patient with isolated foot drop due to an intraneural synovial ganglion. We successfully treated the lesion with decompression via epineurotomy combined with primary division of the recurrent articular branch of the common peroneal nerve (CPN). Compression neuropathies of the common peroneal nerve arise from a variety of causes. Intrinsic compression due to intraneural ganglion cysts of the CPN is rare. Previous reports of simple decompression of the cystic fluid have resulted in recurrence. The unified articular theory describes a pathway for fluid to fill from the proximal tibiofibular joint into the CPN via a recurrent articular branch. In our case, we divide this articular branch which we feel prevents recurrence.