Avoid the Accessory Posterolateral Portal in Posterior Ankle Hindfoot Scopes
Risk of nerve injury increases dramatically with the use of that portal, and there's a safer alternative
What’s the Claim?
According to a large case series from three experienced surgeons, using an accessory posterolateral portal during posterior ankle hindfoot arthroscopy (PAHA) substantially increased the risk of sural nerve injuries, some of which will result in more surgery. Nerve injuries occurred in about 4% of patients having PAHA, and complications occurred in about 7% of patients overall in that series, which employed PAHA for a variety of common indications.
