Ankle joint denervation. Part 2:Operative technique and results.

Summary The knowledge gained in anatomical studies on the sensory innervation of the ankle joint was applied to 11 patients suffering from post-traumatic arthrosis of the ankle joint who underwent denervation operations following successful test blocks. In order to achieve an ankle joint denervation as complete as possible while maintaining the sensitivity of the sole and dorsum of the foot, neurotomies away from the joint were performed in the saphenous, sural, and deep peroneal nerves as well as the interosseous branch, whereas the tibal nerve and the superficial peroneal nerve were skeletized by neurotomy of the branches to the ankle joint only. Good results were obtained in seven out of 10 patients examined in the follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]