[Tarsal tunnel syndrome in athletes]

Pain in the hindfoot due to overuse has many causes. One uncommon cause is the entrapment of the posterior tibial nerve: the tarsal tunnel syndrome. Pain when palpating posterior the medial malleolus and pain in the abductor hallucis muscle are typical symptoms. Application of a local anaesthetic leads to immediate pain relief. The distal motoric latency is prolonged, but not in all cases. First of all, treatment consists of local and oral antiphlogistics, orthopaedic arch-support and physiotherapy. In case of therapy-resistant pain over more than three months period, surgical decompression of the tibial nerve should be performed. In the last three years we treated 18 patients with a tarsal tunnel syndrome: 6 of 8 patients were symptom-free after surgical intervention, whereas only 3 of 10 were symptom-free after conservative treatment.