MR FINDINGS IN PERONEAL TENDONOPATHY

Objective: The purpose of this presentation is to familiarize the read er with the often subtle findings of peroneal tendon derangement on MR I examination. Materials and Methods: We present four patients who wer e studied with MR (1.5 T) prior to surgical exploration of the peronea l tunnel. All patients had lateral ankle symptoms for >6 months, Norma l MR anatomy and an example of the peroneus quartus tendon are also sh own. Results: Surgery revealed two peroneus brevis and three peroneus longus lesions. A ''multipartite'' appearance of the peroneus tendon o n axial MR images, especially when paired with a ''flame-shaped'' appe arance on more distal axial images, indicates a longitudinal tendon sp lit. Both patients with peroneus brevis tendon splits had insufficient superior peroneal retinacula. Conclusion: Partial ruptures of the per oneal tendons characteristically take the form of longitudinal tendon splits. Axial MR images through the ankle and hindfoot can help distin guish peroneal tendonitis from longitudinal tendon splits.