Peroneal tendon injuries.

Peroneal tendon pathology is a common cause of lateral ankle pain. Because of the difficulty of distinguishing peroneal tendon injuries from lateral ligament injuries in the setting of ankle trauma, early diagnosis is often missed. Failure to recognize and adequately treat these injuries can result in significant long-term disability. Focused history and physical examination are critical, as is a thorough understanding of the local anatomy and biomechanics involved. Acute injuries may be successfully treated conservatively; however, chronic injuries have demonstrated unsatisfactory response to conservative measures. When considering surgical management of peroneal tendon injuries, as much information as possible must be gathered through history, clinical exam, and diagnostic studies. The level of injury in correspondence with the myriad of possible etiologic factors dictates the ideal procedure to be performed. Surgery is highly individualized according to the pathology encountered, and to the skill and experience of the surgeon.