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Role of Sonography in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Peroneal Neuropathy Secondary to Fabellae
Author(s) -
Cesmebasi Alper,
Spinner Robert J.,
Smith Jay,
Bannar Stephen M.,
Finnoff Jonathan T.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.7863/ultra.15.04003
Subject(s) - medicine , sesamoid bone , knee pain , ultrasound , radiology , surgery , common peroneal nerve , entrapment neuropathy , radiography , osteoarthritis , pathology , alternative medicine , carpal tunnel syndrome
The fabella is a sesamoid bone situated in the posterolateral knee, which may contribute to posterolateral knee pain by impinging on the adjacent common peroneal nerve (CPN). Although anatomic studies have established an relationship between the fabella and CPN, we present 4 cases of posterolateral knee pain radiating into the anterolateral leg in which sonography was able to determine the source of the pain as CPN compression by an adjacent fabella. In 2 of these cases, resolution of symptoms was achieved with ultrasound‐guided CPN blocks, whereas 1 case was surgically treated, and another was managed with oral analgesics. These cases illustrate the utility of diagnostic and interventional sonography in the evaluation and treatment of posterolateral knee pain secondary to fabellar impingement of the CPN.