Background: Although peroneal tendon injuries are a common cause of lateral ankle pain, there is a paucity of literature specifically addressing the treatment of severe concomitant peroneus longus and brevis tears. The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient outcomes following a single-stage flexor tendon transfer for the treatment of severe concomitant tears of both peroneal tendons.
Methods: Eight patients were treated with a single-stage flexor tendon transfer for severe concomitant peroneus longus and brevis tears over a 15-year period. Mean age at the time of surgery was 54 years (range, 41-67 years), including 4 male and 4 female patients. Tendon transfer of either the flexor hallucis longus (FHL) or flexor digitorum longus (FDL) was performed when both peroneal tendons were found intraoperatively to have severe nonreconstructable tears. Mean follow-up time from surgery was 58 months (range, 12-91 months). Preoperative and postoperative AOFAS hindfoot and visual analog pain scores were prospectively collected, and patient charts were reviewed for complications. A postoperative outcome questionnaire was administered during latest follow-up to assess return to activities, satisfaction, and self-rated patient outcome.
Results: Mean pre- and postoperative AOFAS hindfoot scores increased from 64 (range, 54-77) to 86 (range, 69-100), whereas mean score for pain on a visual analog scale decreased from 4.2 (range, 0.5-6) to 0.7 (range, 0-3). One surgical complication occurred following FDL transfer in a patient who developed a transient peroneal nerve palsy, and 1 patient underwent a subsequent calcaneal osteotomy. Seven of 8 patients reported a return to preoperative activity levels, and no patient required bracing for activities of daily living. All patients reported satisfaction with surgical results, and 7 rated their outcomes as good or excellent.
Conclusion: Single-stage flexor tendon transfer is an effective surgical option for the treatment of severe concomitant peroneus longus and brevis tendon tears.
Level of evidence: Level IV, case series.
Keywords: flexor digitorum longus; flexor hallucis longus; peroneal tendon; tendon tear; tendon transfer.