Pseudo-aneurysm: A Rare Complication of Ankle Arthroscopy

Abstract

A 53-year-old woman underwent arthroscopic ankle debridement for posttraumatic arthrofibrosis 2 years following a bimalleolar ankle fracture. Twelve months postarthroscopy, the patient returned to physical therapy with a 2-week history of pain and prominent swelling to her anterior ankle. Urgent follow-up was arranged with an orthopaedic surgeon, who ordered a radiograph and magnetic resonance imaging, which demonstrated a large heterogeneous mass. Doppler ultrasound was also ordered and confirmed the mass to be a pseudo-aneurysm of the anterior tibial artery. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(1):42. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.5544.

Keywords: ankle; lower extremity; magnetic resonance imaging; radiography; ultrasound.