Fibular nerve neurotmesis secondary to knee trauma: A diagnosis requiring nerve ultrasound

Peripheral nerve trauma may be the result of contusion, laceration, mechanical damage by bone fragments, stretching and traction, or iatrogenic causes. In closed trauma, it is often challenging to detect the site, mechanism, and severity of nerve damage (Padua et al., 2012). Ultrasound (US) is a relatively new, but useful tool in the diagnosis of peripheral nerve disease, complementing the electrodiagnostic (EDx) evaluation (Beekman and Visser, 2003). One of its most important contributions is the ability to differentiate axonotmesis from neurotmesis soon after acute injury, providing detailed information useful for surgery (Padua et al., 2012).