Tarsal tunnel syndrome: electrophysiological study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neurophysiology

Background:

• Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) is a rare compression neuropathy affecting the posterior tibial nerve.
• Symptoms include burning pain and paresthesia in the foot and toes.
• Clinical signs like Tinel's sign and sensory loss aid diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic utility of terminal latency and sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) in medial and lateral plantar nerves for TTS.
• To identify objective electrodiagnostic markers for TTS.

Main Methods:

• Nerve conduction studies were performed on 21 TTS cases and 20 healthy controls.
• Measurements included terminal motor latency and SNCV in the medial and lateral plantar nerves.
• Comparison of electrodiagnostic findings between patients and controls.

Main Results:

• Prolonged terminal motor latency was found in 11 TTS cases.
• Sensory nerve conduction abnormalities (absent potentials or slow SNCV) were detected in 19 TTS cases.
• Sensory nerve conduction velocity in the plantar nerves demonstrated significant abnormalities in TTS patients.

Conclusions:

• Sensory nerve conduction velocity in the medial and lateral plantar nerves is a highly sensitive and specific objective diagnostic index for tarsal tunnel syndrome.
• Nerve conduction studies provide valuable objective data for diagnosing TTS.
• SNCV measurements are superior to terminal latency for TTS diagnosis.