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Does anyone have experience with common peroneal nerve entrapments? I have had it for almost 12 months. Now, it presents mainly as lateral knee pain distal to the fibular head and posterior knee pain with flexion after activity (running or tennis) or standing..

Some history ( I am going to try and make it brief): Very active 51 y/o female DPM , no genu varum or valgum. I have been told my forefoot is rectus.
7-8 months ago my knee pain was so severe. I could not walk down steps without holding on to the banister with both hands. Obviously, I could not run, play tennis, or golf. No pain bike riding –20-25 miles at a 15mph pace!. No morning pain. No swelling. No area of pain could be located on exam.
I self treated as ITBS and proximal fibular stress fracture. I noticed improvement with wearing a long leg Aircast. Recently, I figured out that I improved with the aircast because I could not cross my legs when I wore it.

After I trying to self treat for 6 months I consulted to 2 orthopedist, 2 physical therapists, and1 chiropractor all felt I had injured the lateral head of my gastroc, even though there was no POP. One session of PT that involved straight leg hamstring stretching caused me to develop mild foot drop. I did not realize I had foot drop, I thought I had apprehension from the pain. Never felt any tingling or loss of sensation until I started to improve.

I have had 2 sets of knee and lower leg X-Rs---WNL
The MRI of my knee/.lower leg I had it read by 3 independent radiologists. One noted a little swelling around my fibular head.

Once, I self diagnosed a common peroneal entrapment and stopped crossing my legs, I improved 50 % in 2 weeks. The pain was replaced by tingling down lateral aspect of my lower leg and foot. I consulted a PMR who agreed with my Dx. She started me on Lidoderm patches, and of course recommended a NCS. I have not had.

Now, I am able to run and play tennis with only minimal awareness of pain. Working out on the elliptical machine or any lower leg stretching will cause knee pain and foot tingling.
Does anyone have any thoughts about the pain I get behind my knee when flexed after activity or standing? Any thoughts on any treatments?

 

Peroneal nerve entrapment at the fibular head: Outcomes of neurolysis
R. Maalla M. Youssef, N. Ben lassoued, M.A. Sebai, H. Essadam
Orthopaedics & Traumatology: Surgery & Research; Available online 27 August 2013

 

Chronic lower leg pain: entrapment of common peroneal nerve or tibial nerve.
van Zantvoort A et al
Unfallchirurg. 2019 Apr 16

 

Evidence in peroneal nerve entrapment: a scoping review
Christophe Storms et al
Eur J Neurol. 2021 Oct 18