Peroneal tendon tears are a common but often overlooked cause of chronic lateral ankle pain. A 2003 study in The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery reviewed patients with peroneal tendon tears and examined causes and treatment outcomes. The study aimed to characterise the typical patient profile, injury type, treatment course and complications linked to surgical repair.
Researchers analysed 40 patients with chronic peroneal tendon pain at the Foot and Ankle Institute of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital. They reviewed medical records, surgical reports and radiographs over three years. Patients had an average age of 42 years (range 13 to 64). In addition, 58% of patients linked their condition to an ankle sprain or traumatic injury.
The results show peroneus brevis tears in 88% of patients and peroneus longus tears in 13%. The data show combined tears in 37% of cases. In addition, 33% of patients had a low-lying peroneus muscle belly, while 33% had lateral ankle ligament injuries. The data show peroneal subluxation in 20% of cases.
After an average follow-up of 13 months (range 9 to 40), 98% of patients returned to full activity without pain. However, 20% of patients experienced minor complications. In contrast, 10% of patients developed major complications, including persistent symptoms or the need for revision surgery.
Overall, the study highlights a common combination of lateral ankle ligament injury and peroneal tendon tears. It also shows that appropriate surgical treatment leads to good outcomes with few serious complications.
Michael F Dombek, Bradley M Lamm, Karl Saltrick, Robert W Mendicino, Alan R Catanzariti,
Peroneal tendon tears: a retrospective review, The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Volume 42, Issue 5, 2003.
