Anatomical Study of the Ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Tenotomy of the Iliopsoas Muscle Tendon in Cadavers: A Feasible Technique?

Objective  To evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous tenotomy of the iliopsoas muscle tendon guided by ultrasound (US) in cadavers. Methods  We conducted an anatomical and descriptive study of the US-guided percutaneous tenotomy technique for the iliopsoas muscle tendon to review our experience performing it and its reproducibility in the clinical practice. Results  Of the 20 tenotomies, 17 were total, at the level of the upper edge of the acetabulum, while 3 were partial. One procedure resulted in a partial injury to the femoral nerve. We measured the distance between the place of blade introduction and the femoral nerve, a noble structure potentially at a higher risk during the procedure; the mean distance was of 8.4 mm. Conclusion  Iliopsoas tendon release procedures guided by US in a cadaveric model are feasible and consistently result in the total release of the tendon, except in cases of obesity, with minimal repercussions on adjacent structures, and their completion requires approximately 4 minutes.