Foot drop: an iatrogenic complication of spinal anesthesia / Pé caído: uma complicação iatrogênica da anestesia espinhal

Abstract Background and objectives Foot drop in postoperative period is very rare after spinal anesthesia. Early clinical assessment and diagnostic interventions is of prime importance to establish the etiology and to start appropriate management. Close follow-up is warranted in early postoperative period in cases when patient complain paresthesia or pain during needle insertion or drug injection. Case report A 22-year-old male was undergone lower limb orthopedic surgery in spinal anesthesia. During shifting from postoperative ward footdrop was suspected during routine assessment of regression of spinal level. Immediately the patient was referred to a neurologist and magnetic resonance imaging was done, which was inconclusive. Conservative management was started and nerve conduction study was done on the 4th postoperative day that confirmed pure motor neuropathy of right peroneal nerve. Patient was discharged with ankle splint and physiotherapy after slight improvement in motor power (2/5). Conclusions Foot drop is very rare after spinal anesthesia. Any suspected patient must undergo emergent neurological consultation and magnetic resonance imaging to exclude major finding and need for early surgical intervention.

Resumo Justificativa e objetivos Pé caído no período pós-operatório é muito raro após a anestesia espinhal. Avaliação clínica e intervenções diagnósticas precoces são de primordial importância para estabelecer a etiologia e iniciar o tratamento adequado. Um acompanhamento atento é justificado no pós-operatório imediato nos casos em que o paciente se queixa de parestesia ou dor durante a inserção da agulha ou da injeção de fármacos. Relato de caso Paciente do sexo masculino, 22 anos, submetido a cirurgia ortopédica de membros inferiores sob anestesia espinhal. Durante a transferência para a sala de recuperação pós-operatória, houve suspeita de pé caído durante a avaliação rotineira da regressão do nível espinhal. O paciente foi imediatamente enviado ao neurologista e uma ressonância magnética foi feita, mas não foi conclusiva. O manejo conservador foi iniciado e o estudo de condução nervosa foi feito no 4° dia de pós-operatório, o que confirmou a neuropatia motora pura do nervo fibular direito. O paciente foi dispensado com imobilizador de tornozelo e fisioterapia após ligeira melhoria da força motora (2/5). Conclusões Pé caído é muito raro após a anestesia espinhal. Qualquer paciente suspeito deve ser submetido à consulta neurológica de emergência e ressonância magnética para excluir o principal achado e a necessidade de intervenção cirúrgica precoce.

Ostectomía del peroné en el genu varo doloroso de rodilla. Resultados preliminares al año de operado / Fibula ostectomy in painful genu varum of the knee. Preliminary results after a year of the surgery

Introducción: la artrosis de rodilla puede llegar a ser una patología muy invalidante por sus síntomas, caracterizados por dolor, inseguridad y pérdida funcional. Es una patología degenerativa que ha aumentado su prevalencia en las últimas décadas, muy ligada al envejecimiento poblacional. Objetivo: validar la técnica de la ostectomía del peroné en el genu varo doloroso como nueva opción de tratamiento. Materiales y Métodos: se realizó un estudio, prospectivo y lineal en el Hospital Militar "Dr. Mario Muñoz Monroy" de Matanzas, desde abril del 2016 hasta agosto del 2017. Se aplicó la nueva técnica del Dr. Ying-Ze Zhang, del Departamento de Cirugía Ortopédica del Tercer Hospital de la Universidad Médica de Hebei en Shijiazhuang, China. En la actualidad ya existe una casuística de 75 pacientes, con 84 rodillas operadas de los cuales se presentan los resultados de los primeros 11 pacientes, posterior al año de operado. Resultados: el promedio de edad fue de 64,3 años, (45 años el menor y 84 años el mayor); de los cuales 8 eran hombres y 3 mujeres. Se aplicó la escala visual analógica para el dolor pre y post-operatorio en cuanto a la marcha y al subir escalones; estando todos los pacientes al caminar, por encima de 6 y al subir escaleras por encima de 7. Después de un año de operados 10 pacientes se encontraban evaluados al caminar entre 0 y 3 puntos, y al subir escalones 9 en igual puntuación; 1 en 5, y solamente 1 paciente mantuvo igual puntuación antes de operarse. Valorando estas puntuaciones se evaluaron 9 pacientes de bien, 2 de regular, y se presentaron 3 complicaciones. Conclusiones: al año de seguimiento ocurre gran mejoría del dolor, mejorando la seguridad del paciente durante la marcha (AU).

Introduction: the fibular osteoarthritis could be a very invalidating disease due to its symptoms, characterized by pain, insecurity and functional loss. It is a degenerative disease whose prevalence has increased during the last decades, tightly linked to population ageing. Objective: to validate the technique of fibular ostectomy in the painful genu varum as a new treatment option. Materials and Methods: a prospective, lineal study was carried out in the Military Hospital "Dr. Mario Muñoz Monroy", of Matanzas, from April 2016 to August 2017. It was used the new technique of Dr. Ying-Ze Zhang, from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University in Shijiazhuang, China. Currently there is a series of cases of 75 patients, with 84 operated knees; the results of the first 11 operated patients, are presented here after a year of the surgery. Results: the average age was 64.3 years, 45 years the youngest and 84 years the eldest; from them, 8 were men and 3 women. The analogical visual scale for the pre and post-surgical pain was applied during the gait and when going upstairs. During the gait all the patients were above 6, and when climbing upstairs above 7. After a year from the operation 10 patients got an evaluation between 0 and 3 points during the gait, and 9 got the same score when climbing steps; one got 5, and only 1 patient kept the same score than before the operation. Taking into account these scores, 9 patients were evaluated as good, 2 regular, and there were 3 complications. Conclusions: after a one-year follow-up, the pain greatly improves, improving patients' security during the gait (AU).

The effects of short-term, rapid glycemic control on the peroneal nerve function and serum VCAM-1 and AGE in type 2 diabetic patients in Malaysia.

Background : The role of endothelial injury and circulating adhesion molecule in the development and progression of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in the long-term has been established previously. Aims:0 To study the effects of short-term glycemic control using insulin and oral hypoglycemic agent therapy (OHA) on the peroneal nerve function and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and advanced glycation endproducts (AGE) levels in type 2 diabetic patients. Settings and Design : A randomized controlled study involving poorly controlled (HbA1c, 7.5%-11%) type 2 diabetic patients attending the endocrinology outpatient center in a tertiary hospital in Kuala Lumpur. Materials and Methods Twenty-nine patients were randomized to receive insulin (n=15) or OHA (n=14) for 8 weeks. The glycemic variables (HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose [FPG], fructosamine), VCAM-1, serum AGE and the peroneal motor conduction velocity (PMCV) were measured at baseline and at 4-week intervals. Statistical Analysis Used : Paired 't' test or Kruskal Wallis test; and the unpaired 't' test or Mann-Whitney U test were used for within-group and between-group analyses, respectively. Correlation was analyzed using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results : Within-group analysis showed significant progressive improvement in HbA1c at weeks 4 and 8 in the insulin group. The PMCV improved significantly in both groups by week 8, and by week 4 (P = 0.01) in the insulin group. PMCV correlated negatively with VCAM-1 (P = 0.031) and AGE (P = 0.009) at week 8. Conclusion : Aggressive glycemic control with insulin improves the peroneal nerve function within 4 weeks. Improvement in the serum VCAM-1 and AGE levels correlated significantly with improvement in peroneal nerve conduction velocity only in the insulin group.

Peroneal nerve palsy due to compartment syndrome after facial plastic surgery

A 25-year-old white man, right after bilateral rhytidoplasty, presented with agitation, necessiting use of haloperidol. Some hours after, he developed severe pain in his legs and a diagnosis of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) was considered. Even with treatment for NMS he still complained of pain. A diagnosis of lower limb compartment syndrome (CS) was done only 12 hours after the initial event, being submitted to fasciotomy in both legs, disclosing very pale muscles, due to previous ischemia. This syndrome was not explained only by facial surgery, his position and duration of the procedure. It can be explained by a sequence of events. He had a history of pain in his legs during physical exercises, usually seen in chronic compartment syndrome. He used to take anabolizant and venlafaxine, not previously related, and the agitation could be related to serotoninergic syndrome caused by interaction between venlafaxine and haloperidol. Rhabdomyolisis could lead to oedema and ischmemia in both anterior leg compartment. This report highlights the importance of early diagnosis of compartment syndrome, otherwise, even after fasciotomy, a permanent disability secondary to peripheral nerve compression could occur.

Logo após ritidoplastia bilateral, um jovem de 25 anos apresentou agitação, necessitando uso de haloperidol. Algumas horas após, desenvolveu dor intensa em membros inferiores, e o diagnóstico de síndrome neuroléptica maligna foi considerado. Mesmo com o tratamento para tal, persistiu com dor. Após 12 horas do início do quadro, foi realizado o diagnóstico de síndrome compartimental de membros inferiores e o jovem foi submetido a fasciotomia bilateral. Uma seqüência de eventos desencadeou esta síndrome, já que sua ocorrência dificilmente seria justificada pela cirurgia facial e/ou posição do paciente durante o procedimento. O jovem apresentava previamente dor em membros inferiores aos exercícios, sugerindo a ocorrência de uma síndrome compartimental crônica. Ele fazia uso de anabolizantes e venlafaxina, não relatado no início do quadro, e a agitação poderia ser explicada por uma síndrome serotoninérgia desencadeada pela interação deste último medicamento e haloperidol. A rabdomiólise secundária a estes eventos causou edema e isquemia nos compartimentos anteriores de ambos os membros inferiores, levando a uma compressão secundária do nervo fibular. O caso em questão ilustra a importância do diagnóstico precoce da síndrome compartimental pois, caso contrário, mesmo com fasciotomia, uma complicação permanente devido à compressão de nervos periféricos pode se estabelecer.