Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
04:03
Harvesting of Peroneus Longus Tendon Autograft
Published on: September 2, 2025
Avoiding sural nerve injuries during percutaneous Achilles tendon repair
Martin Majewski1, Markus Rohrbach, Stephan Czaja
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kantonsspital Liestal, Rheinstrasse 26, CH-4410 Liestal, Switzerland. majewski01@yahoo.de
The American Journal of Sports Medicine
|April 22, 2006
Summary
Minimizing sural nerve injury during Achilles tendon repair is possible by exposing the nerve. This technique ensures safe and reliable percutaneous repair, leading to good patient outcomes and return to sports.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Sports medicine
Background:
- Percutaneous Achilles tendon repair carries a risk of sural nerve injury.
- Sural nerve complications can impact patient recovery and outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if exposing the sural nerve during percutaneous Achilles tendon repair reduces the incidence of nerve injury.
- To assess the safety and efficacy of a modified percutaneous technique.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case-control study of 84 patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture.
- Comparison between a group with sural nerve exposure (n=38) and a nonexposure group (n=46).
- Both groups underwent the same percutaneous repair technique.
Main Results:
- No sural nerve lesions occurred in the group where the nerve was exposed.
- All 18% of sural nerve complications were observed in the nonexposure group.
- All patients achieved full recovery, returned to work, and resumed previous sports levels within one year.
Conclusions:
- Exposing the sural nerve during percutaneous Achilles tendon repair significantly minimizes the risk of nerve injury.
- This surgical modification enhances the safety and reliability of percutaneous repair for Achilles tendon ruptures.
- Careful surgical technique, including nerve exposure, is crucial for optimal patient outcomes.
