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Case Reports
. 2024 Feb 9;16(2):e53943.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.53943. eCollection 2024 Feb.

A Novel Surgical Technique for the Reconstruction of Chronic Tennis Leg Injury

Nikolaos Platon Sachinis  1 , Emmanouil Pantelidis  1 , Byron Chalidis  1 , Christos Koukos  1 , Givissis Panagiotis  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

A Novel Surgical Technique for the Reconstruction of Chronic Tennis Leg Injury

Nikolaos Platon Sachinis et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Tennis leg, a rupture of the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle at the musculotendinous junction (MTJ), is common, particularly among middle-aged sports enthusiasts. While acute cases usually resolve with conservative care, optimal surgical strategies for the treatment of chronic injuries remain undefined. This study reviews the current literature and details the successful operative treatment of a 37-year-old male with a 12-month history of tennis leg, employing a novel reverse flap technique from the MTJ's aponeurosis and augmented by a facia lata allograft.

Keywords: chronic; medial gastrocnemius; operative treatment; rupture; tennis leg.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. T2 weighted coronal image of both legs focusing on the gastrocnemius muscle.
Scarring of the right medial gastrocnemius muscle can be seen as grey lines coming from the muscle head going peripherally to the tendon, and this has been highlighted with a yellow circle.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Intraoperative image of the technique employed to manage the chronic injury of the right medial gastrocnemius muscle.
Scar removal and muscle attachment onto its aponeurosis. Reverse flap created (green arrow), and sutured to the muscle belly.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Intraoperative image of the technique employed to manage the chronic injury of the right medial gastrocnemius muscle.
Reverse rectangular flap from the aponeurosis has been securely sutured onto the muscle belly (blue arrow); the rest aponeurosis has been also sutured in a side-by-side manner (green arrow).
Figure 4
Figure 4. Intraoperative image of the technique employed to manage the chronic injury of the right medial gastrocnemius muscle.
Fascia lata allograft being superimposed on the medial head and aponeurosis of the gastrocnemius (green circle) and readied to be sutured in place.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Final appearance of the patient’s leg and scar wound 12 months after the operation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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