[Arterio-venous popliteal fistula: a rare late complication of a civilian trauma. A clinical case and review of the literature].

In spite of the relatively high frequency of popliteal injuries following war and civilian traumas, a late development of an arteriovenous fistula can be considered an uncommon complication. We report a case of a chronic arterio-venous popliteal fistula in a young boy, caused five years previously by a blunt trauma, while playing. The tardive onset of symptomatology and the conspicuous enlargement of the vein underline the unusuality of the case. A review of the literature and the technique for fistula repair, using adsorbable suture, are examined.