Surgical repair of an anterior tibialis muscle hernia with Mersilene mesh.

Abstract

The most frequent muscle hernia of the lower extremities is the anterior tibialis muscle hernia. A number of surgical procedures are available for the treatment of symptomatic anterior tibialis muscle hernias. However, in case of a large fascial defect, their use may be unfeasible or inconvenient. Moreover, current surgical procedures are prone to the risk of an anterior tibial compartment syndrome. The use of a synthetic patch could provide an alternative, particularly for large defects. In this paper we report the repair of a large, symptomatic, long-standing anterior tibialis muscle hernia with polyester mesh (Mersilene) fixed to the edges of the defect (muscular fascia and tibial periosteum). This simple procedure provided excellent functional results and a good cosmetic appearance without complications and sequelae.