Platt’s Syndrome: A Nerve Complication Associated with Ligament Injuries

Abstract

Common peroneal nerve (CPN) palsy is associated with acute trauma injuries in the lower extremity, especially around the knee. The occurrence rate of CPN palsy in the general population with knee dislocation or bicruciate ligament injury ranges from 10 to 40% [1]; the peroneal nerve injury associated with sports-related knee injury has been reported to account for 18%. Cho [2] retrospectively reviewed 84 cases, evaluated for injury mechanism and other items and found 84 of 448 cases of peroneal nerve injury, all of which were found to be sports related (skiing 42 cases, football 23 cases, soccer 8 cases, basketball 6 cases, ice hockey 2 cases, track 2 cases, and volleyball 1 case). Sports that are more related to knee injury and peroneal nerve lesion are skiing, American football and soccer. The high prevalence is due to the risks associated not only with particular sport but also with the biomechanics of the trauma. These biomechanics could be direct or indirect such as a common occurrence in football in which injury happens when the foot is fixed on the ground with a typical varus and hyperextension of the knee. In Spain of course, soccer is the main cause of nerve lesion and sport-related knee injury. Our group, Mutualitat Catalana de Futbolistes (soccer players’ mutual insurance in Catalonia) includes 150,000 athletes and performs medical assistance to 26,000 soccer players per year.