Anterior ankle arthroscopy. Early complications with technique joint distraction

Introduction: Arthroscopy has become an important tool to treat various conditions of the ankle. The use of anterior and posterior portals, with or without mechanical distraction, allows for a complete exploration of this joint. Like all surgical techniques, it is not without complications. Objectives: To evaluate the early complications of anterior ankle arthroscopy with or without joint distraction, and to compare them with those described in the international literature. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study that evaluated 198 patients undergoing anterior ankle arthroscopy for various pathologies. All were operated on by a single surgeon, in two health centers, during a period of 6 years, with a postoperative follow-up of at least 12 months. Patients were evaluated by AOFAS score and early and postoperative complications were recorded. Results: 34 women and 164 men were evaluated (average age 37.5 years). There were 23 complications (11.61%): local cellulitis (6 cases), transient paresthesia of the superficial peroneal nerve (4 cases), permanent paresthesia of the superficial peroneal nerve (1 case), residual pain in the portals (4 cases), septic arthritis (2 cases) and one case of other complications. Conclusions: Most complications can be avoided by a precise knowledge of the anatomy and the aseptic techniques, as well as an adequate surgical approach and intra-operative management of the instrumentation. Anterior ankle arthroscopy without joint distraction through standard antero-lateral and antero-medial portals is a safe technique, having a low rate of complications and a very low morbidity for the patient.