Functional outcomes of different surgical treatments for common peroneal nerve injuries: a retrospective comparative study

Abstract Background This study aims to assess the recovery patterns and factors influencing outcomes in patients with common peroneal nerve (CPN) injury. Methods This retrospective study included 45 patients with CPN injuries treated between 2009 and 2019 in Jing’an District Central Hospital. The surgical interventions were categorized into three groups: neurolysis (group A; n = 34 patients), nerve repair (group B; n = 5 patients) and tendon transfer (group C; n = 6 patients). Preoperative and postoperative sensorimotor functions were evaluated using the British Medical Research Council grading system. The outcome of measures included the numeric rating scale, walking ability, numbness and satisfaction. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was utilized to determine the optimal time interval between injury and surgery for predicting postoperative foot dorsiflexion function, toe dorsiflexion function, and sensory function. Results Surgical interventions led to improvements in foot dorsiflexion strength in all patient groups, enabling most to regain independent walking ability. Group A (underwent neurolysis) had significant sensory function restoration (P