Postinjection vastus lateralis atrophy: 2 case reports

We report two cases of postsurgical intramuscular meperidine injection with injury to the femoral nerve and subsequent vastus lateralis atrophy. The first case is a patient who had arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction; the second, a patient with a C6-C7 anterior fusion. Photographs, radiography, and electrodiagnostic studies clearly depict the nature of the injuries, and their etiology is discussed. These case reports describe a unique neuropathic injection injury that, to our knowledge, has never before been described in the literature.