A case of popliteal pterygium treated along with nerve expansion

The presence of a short sciatic nerve in the free edge of a popliteal pterygium makes this syndrome a surgical challenge. We present a case of popliteal pterygium that was treated by nerve expansion. The range of motion of the patient's knee joint was between 30 and 120 degrees. A 75-cc tissue expander was placed under the sciatic nerve and filled with 5 cc of saline solution weekly. When a total of 60 cc was reached, wound dehiscence was observed, and the procedure had to be stopped. The maximum extension obtained was 160 degrees. Since the expansion process had to be stopped early, the elongation attained by expansion was less than expected. We conclude that the nerve expansion method can be used as a good alternative treatment modality for patients with popliteal pterygium.