Long-Term Results of Debridement and Primary Repair of Peroneal Tendon Tears

Background: Peroneal tendon tears are relatively common; however, there are few reports on the long-term success of operative treatment. The purpose of this study was to review the long-term clinical and patient-reported outcomes of a cohort of patients with peroneal tendon tears treated with debridement and primary repair. Methods: Patients who underwent debridement and primary repair of tears of the peroneus longus and brevis from 1994 to 2008 were included in the study. A chart review was performed to determine patient demographics, postoperative complications, and return to sport. Clinical outcomes scores used to assess patients preoperatively and at most recent follow-up included a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, the SF-12 Health Survey, and the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) questionnaire. Results: We identified 34 patients with a tear of one or both peroneal tendons treated operatively by a single surgeon. Eighteen patients participated in the follow-up survey with an average follow-up time of 6.5 years (range, 2-14 years). There was significant improvement in mean VAS pain scores at the time of final follow-up (P < .001) from a mean of 39 (range, 0-80) preoperatively to a mean of 10 (range, 0-52) postoperatively. In addition, there was a significant increase in the LEFS score from a mean of 45 (range, 23-70) preoperatively to a mean of 71 (range, 24-80) postoperatively (P < .001). Of the 18 patients who responded, 17 returned to full sporting activity without limitation. There were no reoperations or operative failures during this time interval. Conclusions: Our study found excellent long-term functional outcomes for patients with tears of the peroneal tendons treated with debridement and primary operative repair. Moreover, we observed that the majority of patients returned to their previous level of activity without the need for reoperation or revision of the repair. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series.