2023, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (13): 2093-2098

Partial peroneus longus tendon reconstruction in the treatment of posterolateral complex injury of the knee joint

Liu Xiuqi, Chen Fang, Zhong Hehe, Xiong Huazhang, Lyu Guoqing, Wu Shuhong, Liu Yi   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Posterolateral knee complex injury can lead to external rotation of the tibia, affecting lower extremity function and quality of life. The reconstruction with partial peroneus longus tendon can restore the stability of the lateral knee joint, but its mechanism is less reported.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of partial peroneus longus tendon reconstruction in the treatment of posterolateral knee complex injury.
METHODS: From January 2017 to January 2021, 56 patients with posterolateral knee complex injury were treated in Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University. They were randomly divided into control group and observation group (n=28 per group). Patients in the control group were treated with autogenous hamstring tendon and bone-patellar tendon-bone reconstruction under arthroscopy, while patients in the observation group were treated with partial peroneus longus tendon reconstruction. Knee stability, knee function, and quadriceps femoris muscle strength were evaluated and compared in both groups before and after surgery. General indexes, complications and ankle function were compared between the two groups after surgery.  
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Length of hospital stay and postoperative visual analogue scale score were lower in the observation group than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Medical cost was less in the observation group than that in the control group (P < 0.05). (2) Hospital for Special Surgery knee score and Lysholm score were higher in the observation group than those in the control group at 1 and 2 months after surgery (P < 0.05). (3) The peak torque and total work of quadriceps femoris were lower in the observation group than those in the control group at 7 days after surgery (P < 0.05). (4) The complication rate of observation group was lower than that of control group after surgery (P < 0.05). (5) Baird-Jackson ankle scoring system at 2 months after surgery showed that motion range, pain score, running ability score, walking ability score, and ankle stability score were higher in the observation group than those in the control group (P < 0.05). (6) It is concluded that application of reconstruction with partial peroneus longus tendon in patients with posterolateral knee complex injuries can effectively improve the knee stability and function, alleviate the pain, promote the recovery of its quadriceps femoris muscle strength and shorten the length of hospital stay.
Key words: peroneus longus tendon, knee, posterolateral complex injury, knee stability, knee function, quadriceps femoris muscle strength