Foot & Ankle International - September 2020 - 1136

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Foot & Ankle International 41(9)

Table 1.  Demographic and General Data for Patients With and Without Nerve Injury.
Parameter
Age, mean (range), y
Follow-up, mean ± SD, mo
Sex, no. (%)
 Male
 Female
Weight, mean ± SD, kg
Height, mean ± SD, cm
Side, no. (%)
 Left
 Right
Surgery duration, mean ± SD, min
Working portals, no. (%)
 1
  AM
  AL
 2
  AM+AL
  AL+aAL
 3
  AL+PL+aAC
  AM+AL+aAL

All arthroscopies
(N = 105)

DPN injury
(n = 1)

SPN injuries
(n = 7)

37.3 (13-82)
31.5 ± 17.7

51
43.1

39.1 (17-70)
34.1 ± 19.9

63 (60.0)
42 (40.0)
78.8 ± 16.2
175.0 ± 9.2

1 (100)

50 (47.6)
55 (52.4)
68.21 ± 30.8

1 (100)

43 (41.0)
20 (19.1)
23 (21.9)
59 (56.2)
58 (55.2)
1 (1.0)
3 (2.9)
1 (1.0)
2 (1.9)

68
170

139

0 (0)

.410
.692

5 (71.4)
2 (28.6)
88.6 ± 14.1
176.3 ± 7.5

 
 
.100
.697

1 (14.3)
6 (85.7)
55.9 ± 17.4

 
 
.265

0 (0)

1 (100)
1 (100)

P value

6 (85.7)
6 (85.7)
0 (0)
1 (14.3)
0 (0)
1 (14.3)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Abbreviations: aAC, accessory anterocentral; aAL, accessory anterolateral; AL, anterolateral; AM, anteromedial; DPN, deep peroneal nerve; SPN,
superficial peroneal nerve.

DPN was assessed for structural integrity, changes in diameter, and the presence of neuroma. Then, the SPN was identified at the location where it pierces the crural fascia,
proximal to the ankle joint, and followed distally. The
medial and intermediate dorsal cutaneous branches were
identified and imaged for the presence of neuroma. In cases
of pathologic conditions, the nerves and vessels were
imaged in the long axis.

Statistical Analysis
Descriptive data are presented as the mean values ± standard deviations (SDs) for continuous variables. To determine whether the means of the groups of patients with
and without complications were equal to each other, a
Student t test was performed. For QST, thermal and pain
thresholds were expressed as the means ± SD. To account
for subject variability, data were compared with the contralateral foot. Normality was tested with the ShapiroWilk test and homogeneity of variance with the Brown
and Forsythe test. The QST data were analyzed using a
2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated
ANOVA, with the groups of patients with and without
DPN injury. A Bonferroni test was used for post hoc comparisons. Outliers were defined as a deviation of Q1 and
Q3 of more than 1.5 interquartile ranges. All statistical

analyses were performed using the GraphPad Prism software (version 8.0.1; GraphPad Software Inc, San Diego,
CA). A P < .05 denoted statistical significance.

Results
A total of 101 patients (105 arthroscopies) with a mean
follow-up of 31.5 ± 17.7 months were included in the
study. Four patients (3.81%) were not available for the
clinical examination. Two patients were untraceable by
letter and phone, 1 patient was an asylum seeker at the
time of surgery and left the country because he was not
granted asylum, and 1 patient was pregnant at the time
of follow-up and refused to attend. For these patients,
data could be collected from patient electronic medical
record charts at a mean follow-up of 31.5 days and
showed normal sensory function of the DPN and SPN
and normal perfusion of the foot. The average age of the
patients was 37.3 years (range, 13-82 years), and the
male-to-female ratio was 3:2. Table 1 shows demographic data for all patients and for patients with nerve
injuries, along with statistical significances. There were
no significant differences regarding the demographic
criteria compared with patients without a complication.
Leading indications to surgery were heterogeneous and
included anterior impingement (48.6%), osteochondral
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