Peroneal Tendonitis

Definition:

Peroneal tendonitis is a condition which relates to the peroneal tendons. Peroneal Tendonosis is actually a better fitting term in most cases. As tendonosis refers to the thickening of the tendon, rather than the inflamation of the tendon as tendonitis refers to. Their are two peroneal tendons, one being the peroneal brevis, the other the peroneal longus. Both originate in the lower leg and run down the outerside of the ankle bone. The peroneal brevis connects to the base of the 5th metatarsal on the outside of the foot. The peroneal longus actually crosses under the entire foot and connects underneath the 1st metatarsal. Both of the peroneal tendons are their to assist your foot in controlling and rolling the foot outwards. This is why it is so common for someone that has sprained their ankle to experience similar symptoms, as most ankle sprains occur by the outward rolling of the ankle.

Cause:

Most commonly peroneal tendonitits is caused by the strain to the peroneal tendons. This includes overuse, improper use, poor footwear, and improper alignment or support of the foot. This condition may be more common in a person whose ankles tend to roll the outside as this makes the peroneal tendons work harder with weight bearing and may cause tendonitis in the peroneal tendons. Consult with your doctor or podiatrist for more information and proper diagnosis of this condition.

Symptoms:

Patients typically present with pain around the back or outside of the ankle and are very active in sports or athletic training invovling the ankle. In most cases their is not history of an injury, just sudden overuse or a change of excersise routine with improper stretching.

Treatment:

In most cases surgery is not nessecary and the tendonitis is able to be treated through the use of proper footwear and foot support. Many times a CAM walker boot is reccommended or prescribed. If your feet tend to roll outwards and you notice excessive wear on the outerside of the soles of your shoes, a custom orthotic will help realign and straighten the alignment of the foot helping relieve the tendons during the healing proccess as well as prevent further issues after the symptoms and tendons have healed. Excessive excersise and walking should be avoided during the healing process. Unless the tendon has torn, conservative treatment will most times sufice.