Functional Outcome After Surgery for Popliteal Artery Entrapment Syndrome

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) is a rare vascular disorder affecting young, active individuals, particularly athletes.
• Surgical intervention is the standard treatment, but data on functional recovery and long-term quality of life are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the functional outcomes of surgical management for PAES using validated patient-reported measures.
• To assess quality of life, return to sport, and long-term patency after PAES surgery.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the VascuQOL-25 questionnaire and sport-specific questions for pre- and post-operative assessments.
• Diagnosis guided by imaging (dynamic duplex ultrasound, CTA, MRI) and Whelan classification.
• Analyzed 14 patients (18 limbs) with a mean age of 30.3 years.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements observed in VascuQOL-25 scores across activity, symptoms, pain, and social domains (p=0.002).
• One- and five-year primary patency rates were excellent at 94.4%.
• Only 6 of 13 active patients returned to their pre-symptomatic athletic levels.

Conclusions:

• Surgical treatment for PAES offers substantial long-term vascular patency and improved quality of life.
• Return to elite athletic performance is often limited, necessitating realistic patient counseling and tailored rehabilitation.