Is the Anterior Tibial Artery Safe During Ankle Arthroscopy? Anatomic Analysis of the Anterior Tibial Artery at the Ankle Joint by Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

In 22 (6.2%) of the 358 cases, the ATA and its branches were located near the anterolateral ankle portal, which introduces the risk of vascular damage during arthroscopic surgery. Furthermore, the mean distance between the ATA and the joint capsule was only 2.3 ± 1.1 mm, and thus the ATA is very close to the anterior working space of the ankle joint. Careful preoperative evaluation and an intra-articular procedure may reduce the risk of vascular complications attributable to ankle arthroscopy. Son KH, Cho JH, Lee JW, Kwack KS, Han SH. Am J Sports Med. 2011 Jul 22. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 21785000  PDF