Complications in foot and ankle arthroscopy

Arthroscopy of the foot and ankle has become an important diagnostic and th erapeutic tool for the orthopaedic surgeon. A thorough knowledge of foot an d ankle anatomy and intraarticular anatomy is critical to avoid complicatio ns in foot and ankle arthroscopy. Numerous complications can occur in foot and ankle arthroscopy, such as neurologic, tendon, and ligament injuries, w ound complications, infections, and instrument breakage. The most common co mplication is neurologic injury. The overall complication rate is 9%. Most complications associated with foot and ankle arthroscopy are transient and tend to resolve within 6 months. The only complication that persisted at 10 years followup was a neurologic injury, specifically, numbness at the inci sion site. Because the difficulty of procedures has increased, so has the c omplication rate. Knowledge of the more common complications in foot and an kle arthroscopy and improved techniques and instruments may reduce the over all complication rate.