Bilateral anterior tibial artery entrapment by the ankle extensor retinaculum: case report

Vascular entrapment is rare. In the lower limbs it is generally asymptomatic, but may cause atypical intermittent claudication in young people without risk factors for atherosclerosis and inflammatory diseases. The most common type of compression involves the popliteal artery, causing symptoms in the region of the infra-patellar muscles. When discomfort is more distal, other entrapment points should be considered, such as the anterior tibial artery. This article reports the case of a patient with intermittent claudication in both feet due to extrinsic compression of the anterior tibial artery bilaterally by the extensor retinaculum of the ankle, diagnosed by vascular ultrasonography and angiotomography during plantar flexion maneuvers. The patient was treated surgically, resulting in improvement of clinical symptoms.