Hereditary Multiple Exostoses (HME) with Peroneal Nerve Compresion: A Case Report

Introduction: Hereditary multiple exostosis (HME) is a hereditary disorder characterized by multiple osteochondromas. Clinical symptoms can result from compression of adjacent structures such as peripheral nerves. In Indonesia, HME with nerve compression cases have rarely reported. Presentation of Case: An eleven-year-old female with complaining of left knee joint pain and progressive masses in left lower leg since 6 years ago. This complains followed by numbness and difficulty to dorso flexion motion on left ankle joint since four months ago. Physical examination showed of the bony masses was detected at the left lateral upper third lower leg with measuring about six into eight centimeters. Range of motion of left ankle joint patient had difficult to dorso flexion. X-ray imaging viewed demonstrates multiple exostosis appearance involving distal femoral, proximal fibula, proximal tibia and distal fibula bone. MR Imaging revealed cartilage cap of head fibula is thin less 1.5 cm and the axially specimen showed peroneal nerve compression. The patient underwent left head fibula wide resection. Intraoperative findings peripheral nerve peroneal compression and was decompression. Medical rehabilitation for physiotherapy was advised. The results of the follow-up after 2 years, no pain feels and the patient was able to dorso flexion of left ankle joint and no additional bumps in other areas of the body. These lesions may arise from any bone which was pre-formed in the cartilage. Nerve compression syndromes are the neurological complex symptom caused by the mechanical or dynamic compression of a specific single segment. MRI was excellent demonstration of blood vessels compromise and represents choices with peripheral nerves structures and to measuring cartilage cap thickness for criterion of osteochondromas differentiation and exostotic grade. Complete resection was importance of the cartilaginous cap to prevent recurrence. The decompressing the peroneal nerve that pressured by the masses and vascular problems occured. Conclusion: Hereditary multiple exostosis is an inherited disorder characterized by multiple osteochondromas. It is important to monitor all cases of HME especially if the patient complains of pain or growth of an osteochondroma. The surgical excision, with complete resection of the cartilaginous cap of the tumor, is important in preventing recurrence.

Anatomical study of sciatic nerve and common peroneal nerve compression

BACKGROUND： Many diseases of the common peroneal nerve are a result of sciatic nerve injury. The present study addresses whether anatomical positioning of the sciatic nerve is responsible for these injuries. OBJECTIVE： To analyze anatomical causes of sciatic nerve and common peroneal nerve injury by studying the relationship between the sciatic nerve and piriformis. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： Observe and measure repeatedly. The experiment was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, Tianjin Medical College between January and June 2005. MATERIALS： Fifty-two adult cadavers 33 males and 19 females, with a total of 104 hemispheres, and fixed with formaldehyde, were provided by Tianjin Medical College and Tianjin Medical University. METHODS： A posterior cut was made from the lumbosacral region to the upper leg, fully exposing the piriformis and path of the sciatic nerve. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： （1） Anatomical characteristics of the tibial nerve and common peroneal nerve. （2） According to different areas where the sciatic nerve crosses the piriformis, the study was divided into two types-normal and abnormal. Normal is considered to be when the sciatic nerve passes through the infrapiriform foramen. Remaining pathways are considered to be abnormal. （3） Observe the relationship between the suprapiriform foramen, infrapiriform foramen, as well as the superior and inferior space of piriformis. RESULTS： （1） The nerve tract inside the common peroneal nerve is smaller and thinner, with less connective tissue than the tibial nerve. When pathological changes or variations of the piriformis, or over-abduction of the hip joint, occur, injury to the common peroneal nerve often arises due to blockage and compression. （2） A total of 76 hemispheres （73.08%） were normal, 28 were abnormal （26.92%）. The piriformis can be injured, and the sciatic nerve can become compressed, when the hip joint undergoes intorsion, extorsion, or abduction. （3） The structures between the infrapiriform and suprapiriform foramen are where ＂the first threshold＂ sciatic nerve projects. The structures between the infrapiriform and suprapiriform gap were ＂the second threshold＂. This became the concept of ＂double threshold＂. The reduced area caused by pathological changes of ＂double threshold＂ may block and compress the sciatic nerve. Because the common peroneal nerve lies on the anterolateral side of the sciatic nerve, injury to the common peroneal nerve is more serious. CONCLUSION： Anatomical characteristics of the common peroneal nerve, as well as variation of the sciatic nerve, piriformis, and the reduced ＂double threshold＂, are the main causes of sciatic nerve injury, and are especially common in peroneal nerve injury.

Electrical Stimulation of Deep Peroneal Nerve Mimicking Acupuncture Inhibits the Pressor Response via Capsaicin-lnsensitive Afferents in Anesthetized Rats

Objective： To assess the inhibitory modulation of blood pressure by stimulation of the deep peroneal nerve （DPN） and to determine the involvement of nociceptive fibers in the modulation. Methods： All the animals were divided into six groups （A-F）. The rats in groups A and B received no pretreatment. The rats in groups C and D received subcutaneous injection of capsaicin or control vehicle, respectively, near the DPN for 2 days. Those in groups E and F had the DPN exposed to capsaicin or control vehicle, respectively, for 20 min. Subsequently, pressor responses were induced by stimulation of paraventricular nucleus （PVN） either electrically （groups A and C-F） or chemically via injection of glutamate （group B）. After two stable pressor responses （baseline）, all groups were subject to 5-min DPN stimulation followed by PVN stimulation for 10 s. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and electrocardiogram were recorded. The pressor response was calculated as the difference in the mean arterial pressure （MAP） before and after PVN stimulation, and changes from baseline in pressor response after DPN stimulation were compared between the groups. Results： Increases of MAP of 22.88 ＋ 2.18 mm Hg and 20.32 ＋ 5.25 mm Hg were induced by electrical （group A） or chemical （group B） stimulation of the PVN, respectively. These pressor responses were inhibited by stimulation of the DPN, and the MAP was reduced to 12.00 _＋ 2.10 mm Hg in group A （n=6, P〈0.01） and 7.00 ＋ 2.85 mm Hg in group B （n=6, P〈0.01）. Subcutaneous injection of capsaicin （125 mg/kg） near the DPN in group C （n=7） had no effect on the inhibitory effect of DPN stimulation compared with the group D （n=9）, and neither did blockade of nociceptive fibers with capsaicin in group E （n=6） compared with group F （n=8）. Conclusion： Stimulation of the DPN mimicking acupuncture has an inhibitory effect on the pressor response, and the effect is mediated by capsaicin-insensitive afferent fibers in the DPN.

Predictive Reliability of the Phoenix Sign for the Outcome of Common Fibular (Peroneal) Nerve Decompression Surgery

A positive Phoenix sign occurs when a patient, with a suspected focal nerve entrapment of the Common Fibular (Peroneal) Nerve (CFN) at the level of the fibular neck, demonstrates an improvement in dorsifexion after an ultrasound guided infiltration of a sub-anesthetic dose of lidocaine. Less than 5 cc’s of 1% or 2% lidocaine is utilized and the effect is seen within minutes after the infiltration, but usually lasts only 10 minutes. This effect may be due to the vasodilatory action of lidocaine on the microcirculation in the area of infiltration. This nerve block has significant diagnostic utility as it is highly specific in the confirmation of true focal entrapment of the CFN, has high predictive value for a patient who may undergo surgical nerve decompression if they have demonstrated a positive Phoenix Sign, and may help in the surgical decision-making process in patients who have had a drop foot for many years but still may regain some motor function after decompression. In this retrospective review, 26 patients were tested, and 25 of this cohort demonstrated a Positive Phoenix Sign (an increase in dorsiflexion strength of the Extensor Hallucis Longus muscle (EHL)). One patient had no response to the peripheral nerve block. Of the 25 patients who demonstrated a positive “Phoenix Sign” and underwent nerve decompression of the CFN, and 25 (100%) showed an increase in dorsiflexion strength of the EHL after nerve decompression surgery of the CFN. The one patient in this cohort who did not demonstrate any improvement in dorsiflexion of the EHL after the nerve block did not have any improvement after surgery.

Autologous transplantation with fewer fibers repairs large peripheral nerve defects

Peripheral nerve injury is a serious disease and its repair is challenging. A cable-style autologous graft is the gold standard for repairing long peripheral nerve defects; however, ensuring that the minimum number of transplanted nerve attains maximum therapeutic effect remains poorly understood. In this study, a rat model of common peroneal nerve defect was established by resecting a 10-mm long right common peroneal nerve. Rats receiving transplantation of the common peroneal nerve in situ were designated as the in situ graft group. Ipsilateral sural nerves（10–30 mm long） were resected to establish the one sural nerve graft group, two sural nerves cable-style nerve graft group and three sural nerves cable-style nerve graft group. Each bundle of the peroneal nerve was 10 mm long. To reduce the barrier effect due to invasion by surrounding tissue and connective-tissue overgrowth between neural stumps, small gap sleeve suture was used in both proximal and distal terminals to allow repair of the injured common peroneal nerve. At three months postoperatively, recovery of nerve function and morphology was observed using osmium tetroxide staining and functional detection. The results showed that the number of regenerated nerve fibers, common peroneal nerve function index, motor nerve conduction velocity, recovery of myodynamia, and wet weight ratios of tibialis anterior muscle were not significantly different among the one sural nerve graft group, two sural nerves cable-style nerve graft group, and three sural nerves cable-style nerve graft group. These data suggest that the repair effect achieved using one sural nerve graft with a lower number of nerve fibers is the same as that achieved using the two sural nerves cable-style nerve graft and three sural nerves cable-style nerve graft. This indicates that according to the ‘multiple amplification＇ phenomenon, one small nerve graft can provide a good therapeutic effect for a large peripheral nerve defect.

Natural history of sensory nerve recovery after cutaneous nerve injury following foot and ankle surgery

Cutaneous nerve injury is the most common complication following foot and ankle surgery. However, clinical studies including long-term follow-up data after cutaneous nerve injury of the foot and ankle are lacking. In the current retrospective study, we analyzed the clinical data of 279 patients who underwent foot and ankle surgery. Subjects who suffered from apparent paresthesia in the cutaneous sensory nerve area after surgery were included in the study. Pa- tients received oral vitamin B^2 and methylcobalamin. We examined final follow-up data of 17 patients, including seven with sural nerve injury, five with superficial peroneal nerve injury, and five with plantar medial cutaneous nerve injury. We assessed nerve sensory function using the Medical Research Council Scale. Follow-up immediately, at 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 9 months, and 1 year after surgery demonstrated that sensory function was gradually restored in most patients within 6 months. However, recovery was slow at 9 months. There was no significant difference in sensory function between 9 months and 1 year after surgery. Painful neuromas occurred in four patients at 9 months to 1 year. The results demonstrated that the recovery of sensory func- tion in patients with various cutaneous nerve injuries after foot and ankle surgery required at least 6 months.