Corticosteroid Injection for Morton's Interdigital Neuroma: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Podiatry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Morton's neuroma is a common cause of forefoot pain.
• Corticosteroid injections are a frequently used treatment modality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and evaluate the efficacy of corticosteroid injections for treating Morton's neuroma.
• To assess the methodological quality of studies evaluating this intervention.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple electronic databases.
• Studies were screened, data extracted, and analyzed following PRISMA guidelines.
• Methodological quality and clinical outcomes were critically assessed.

Main Results:

• Corticosteroid injections generally yielded satisfactory outcomes based on patient satisfaction scores.
• Maximal pain reduction was observed between 1 week and 3 months post-injection via Visual Analog Scale.
• 29.85% of patients (140/469) required surgery due to persistent pain.

Conclusions:

• Corticosteroid injections demonstrate satisfactory clinical outcomes for Morton's neuroma.
• A significant minority of patients may still require surgical intervention.
• Future research should focus on objective outcome measures and the safety/efficacy of repeat injections.