Bilateral anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome variant secondary to extensor hallucis brevis muscle hypertrophy in a ballet dancer: A case report

We present a case of bilateral anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome secondary EHB hypertrophy in a dancer, with successful treatment with bilateral EHB muscle excisions for decompression. The bilateral presentation of this case with the treatment of EHB muscle excision is the first of its type reported in the literature.     

Conservative management of a case of tarsal tunnel syndrome

Objective:

This case study was conducted to evaluate the treatment and management of a patient presenting with chronic foot pain, diagnosed as tarsal tunnel syndrome.

Case:

61 year old female presenting with plantar and dorsal foot pain and burning sensation of 6 months duration.

Treatment:

Treatment was initiated using custom orthotics only for the first ten weeks of care as the patient did not follow up or initially respond to follow up calls placed by the practitioner. A course of high-velocity, low-amplitude adjustments using a toggle board to the cuboid and the talonavicular joint and fascial stripping was added upon report from the patient that the orthotic therapy alone did not resolve the symptoms. Improvement of pain reported on the Verbal Rating Scale was noted with a complete resolution of the condition at the conclusion of treatment. No pain was reported on a ten month follow up with the patient.

Conclusion:

Conservative management, including orthotics, manipulation, and fascial stripping may be beneficial in the treatment of tarsal tunnel syndrome.     

A rare case of an accessory flexor hallucis longus causing tarsal tunnel syndrome

Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) is a rare entrapment neuropathy of the tibial nerve within the fibro-osseous tarsal tunnel for which multiple etiologies, including trauma, congenital foot abnormalities and space occupying lesions, have been described. We present an unusual case of TTS caused by an accessory Flexor Hallucis Longus (FHL) tendon. Surgical excision led to a complete resolution of symptoms and improved the quality of life of our patient.     

The surgical treatment of tarsal tunnel syndrome

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is an entrapment neuropathy involving the posterior tibial nerve within the tarsal canal. Typical symptoms include burning pain and paraesthesia along the medial ankle and plantar aspect of the foot. Although potential causes of tarsal tunnel syndrome include trauma, varicosities, tenosynovitis, space-occupying lesions, and hindfoot deformity, in most cases the aetiology is idiopathic. Surgical release of the posterior tibial nerve and its terminal branches is indicated if symptoms persist despite non-operative treatment. In this article, we discuss the pre-operative evaluation of these patients and illustrate in detail our preferred technique for surgical release.     

Tarsal tunnel syndrome secondary to an accessory muscle: A case report

The flexor digitorum accessorius longus is a rare muscular anomaly that has been reported as one of the etiologies of tarsal tunnel syndrome. The authors provide a case report of a patient with tarsal tunnel syndrome that resolved with resection of the flexor digitorum accessorius longus. The patient remains asymptomatic 40 months following surgery.     

Neurovascular Bundle Decompression without Excessive Dissection for Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome

Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) is an entrapment neuropathy of the posterior tibial nerve and its branches in the tarsal tunnel. We present our less invasive surgical treatment of TTS in 69 patients (116 feet) and their clinical outcomes. The mean follow-up period was 64.6 months. With the patient under local anesthesia we use a microscope to perform sharp dissection of the flexor retinaculum and remove the connective tissues surrounding the posterior tibial nerve and vessels. To prevent postoperative adhesion and delayed neuropathy, decompression is performed to achieve symptom improvement without excessive dissection. Decompression is considered complete when the patient reports intraoperative symptom abatement and arterial pulsation is sufficient. The sensation of numbness and/or pain and of foreign substance adhesion was reduced in 92% and 95% of our patients, respectively. In self-assessments, 47 patients (68%) reported the treatment outcome as satisfactory, 15 (22%) as acceptable, and 7 (10%) were dissatisfied. Of 116 feet, 4 (3%) required re-operation, initial decompression was insufficient in 2 feet and further decompression was performed; in the other 2 feet improvement was achieved by decompression of the distal tarsal tunnel. Our surgical method involves neurovascular bundle decompression to obtain sufficient arterial pulsation. As we use local anesthesia, we can confirm symptom improvement intraoperatively, thereby avoiding unnecessary excessive dissection. Our method is simple, safe, and without detailed nerve dissection and it prevents postoperative adhesion.     

Carpal tunnel syndrome caused by cysticercosis

We present a case of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) due to compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel, caused by cysticercosis. Nerve conduction studies revealed severe CTS. Magnetic resonance imaging suggested an inflammatory mass compressing the median nerve in carpal tunnel. The histological diagnosis was consistent with cysticercosis. The case resolved with conservative treatment. Such solitary presentation of entrapment median neuropathy as CTS caused by cysticercosis is extremely rare. To our knowledge, this is the only case of its kind reported in literature till date.     

A ganglion causing the tarsal tunnel syndrome: report of a case.

The tarsal tunnel syndrome is a complex of symptoms affecting the foot produced by compression neuropathy of the posterior tibial nerve on the medial aspect of the ankle, within the fibrous osseous "tunnel" that has the posteromedial aspect of the tibia as its floor and the flexor retinaculum as its roof. Keck first drew attention to this entity in 1962, and was followed by Lam in the same year. Despite sporadic reports following these documentations, the clinical recognition of the syndrome is often delayed. It is still frequently misdiagnosed as acute foot strain or plantar fasciitis at its initial presentation (Kopell and Thompson, 1963; Lam, 1962, 1967). In this paper we report a case of tarsal tunnel syndrome caused by compression of the posterior tibial nerve by a ganglion at the ankle.     

Bifid median nerve as a determinant of carpal tunnel syndrome recurrence after endoscopic procedures. A case report

A number of complications have been associated with endoscopic technique in treating carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). We observed a female patient who had previously undergone endoscopic surgery for CTS. Shortly after surgery, this patient complained of pain, numbness and strength deficiency, as severe as it was before the operation. A new, open, surgical procedure was performed. During this second-look surgery, we found a bifid median nerve, which divided into two branches at the second third of the forearm, proximal to the flexor retinaculum. We strongly suggest a careful exploration of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. Moreover, we believe that an extensive preoperative assessment of median nerve morphology and function is mandatory prior to endoscopic approach in treating CTS.     

A touch pressure sensory assessment of the surgical treatment of the tarsal tunnel syndrome

Background

Decompressive tarsal tunnel surgery may improve dysfunctional plantar foot sensation in, patients with tarsal tunnel syndrome and peripheral neuropathy. However, quantitative sensory, assessment is lacking.

Method

Quantitative sensory threshold evaluation of 42 feet in 37 consecutive (29 non-diabetic and 8 diabetic) patients was done before and after surgical decompression for tarsal tunnel syndrome. Insensitivity was documented quantitatively (grams force) before and after surgery using a graded series of twenty Semmes–Weinstein monofilaments applied to the anatomic nerve regions of the plantar aspect of the foot.

Results

Sensory evaluation at an average of 12 months after surgery showed significant improvement, of mean sensory threshold, compared with preoperative values, for medial calcaneal, medial plantar, and lateral plantar nerves.

Conclusion

Quantitative sensory assessment with a graded series of twenty Semmes–Weinstein, monofilaments showed significant sensory improvement in the medial calcaneal, medial plantar, and, lateral plantar nerves after posterior tibial nerve decompression.     

甲状腺机能减退症误诊为腕管综合征1例

患者，女，46岁，因左手麻木无力半年余，右手麻木2个月就诊。患者半年前感左手麻木后逐渐无力，自诉刷牙时需用两手才能握住牙刷。辗转数家医院求治，均诊断为腕管综合征，给予局部封闭、理疗、神经营养药物口服等处理，疗效不佳，有医院拟手术治疗遭患者拒绝。病情进行性加重，近2个月右手出现麻木。患者反应稍迟钝、面色微黄、气短乏力、懒言、畏寒、嗜睡、记忆力减退、脉缓、双侧小腿轻度肿胀。骨科检查：双手正中神经分布区皮肤感觉减退，左手大鱼际轻度萎缩，双侧Tinel征阳性，Phalen实验阳性，膝、跟腱反射迟钝。     

Elongated muscle belly of the flexor digitorum superficial causing carpal tunnel syndrome

Background

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is by far the most common entrapment neuropathy (Adams et al. Am J Ind Med 25:527–536, 1994; Cheadle et al. Am J Public Health 84:190–196, 1994; Stevens et al. Neurology 38:134–138, 1988). A combination of described symptoms, clinical findings and electrophysiological testing is used to confirm the diagnosis. Several studies have suggested that in patients with a clinical diagnosis of CTS, the accuracy of nerve sonography is similar to that for electromyography (Chen et al. BMC Med Imaging 11:22, 2011; Guan et al. Neurol Res 33:970–953, 2011; Kele et al. Neurology 61:389–391, 2003; Tai et al. Ultrasound Med Biol 38:1121–1128, 2012). In special cases though, the nerve sonography can reveal the cause of the median entrapment neuropathy (Fumière et al. JBR-BTR 85:1–3, 2002; Kele et al. J Neurosurg 97:471–473, 2002; Kele et al. Neurology 61:389–391, 2003; Zamora et al. J Clin Ultrasound 39:44–47, 2011).

Methods

A 43-year-old farmer was admitted to our department with 1 year of intermittent pain in the left hand and numbness of the thumb, index and middle finger. The pain and the numbness could be reproduced by extension of the wrist and fingers. The electrophysiological testing revealed signs of an entrapment median neuropathy in carpal tunnel.

Results

The high-resolution sonography (18 MHz) revealed signs of entrapment neuropathy with increased cross-sectional area, disturbed echostructure of the nerve and pathological wrist-to-forearm ratio, confirming the results from a similar study (Kele et al. Neurology 61:389–391, 2003). In addition, an elongated muscle belly of the flexor digitorum superficialis in the carpal tunnel could be identified. During the extension of the wrist and fingers, a greater protrusion of the muscle belly could be demonstrated causing compression of the median nerve.

Conclusions

We present a video case report of the sonographic findings of a patient diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome due to an elongated muscle belly of the flexor digitorum superficialis in the carpal tunnel. Our case highlights the importance of nerve sonography in the differential diagnosis of the cause of a carpal tunnel syndrome. With the aid of ultrasonography, it is possible to obtain very important information concerning different aspects of this case. First, in showing the presence of the elongated muscle belly of the flexor digitorum superficialis, the cause of the symptoms could be explained. Second, it was possible through the ultrasound study to explain the atypical clinical appearance in this case, demonstrating the compression neuropathy only after extension of the wrist and fingers. There have been no previous reports in which authors described an elongated muscle belly as cause of a CTS. Third, and perhaps most important, ultrasonography had a direct influence on our selection of therapeutical strategy and approach. As a result, we recommended in this patient a surgical therapy to completely solve the problem, but the patient declined this option and preferred a conservative therapy with a hand orthosis to prevent wrist extension. In conclusion we recommend ultrasonography as a very useful method in the diagnostic evaluation of carpal tunnel syndrome. We have clearly demonstrated that ultrasonography can be used to discover the cause of median nerve compression, especially in cases with an atypical clinical presentation.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11552-012-9435-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Hypertrophic sustentaculum tali causing a tarsal tunnel syndrome: a case report.

A case report of tarsal tunnel syndrome caused by a hypertrophic sustentaculum tali is presented. This is the first reported case secondary to this etiology. Complete resolution of the patient's symptoms has been obtained through resection of the hypertrophic anatomy. The authors also discuss possible etiologies of tarsal tunnel syndrome.     

Solitary thoracic osteochondroma causing spinal compression: Case report

Spinal osteochondromas are very rare, and they present with nonspecific localized pain owing to bone involvement. Diagnosis is made based on direct X-ray and computed tomography (CT) imaging of the exophytic bone lesion with pedunculated or sessile structure. Although asymptomatic patients can be observed, surgical excision is the main treatment modality. We present the case of a 34-year-old man with solitary thoracic osteochondroma. The patient presented with complaints of pain in the legs, numbness, and inability to walk. The diagnosis was confirmed with CT imaging showing calcified heterogeneous bone lesion originating from the left side of T1-2 facet joint. After total excision, histopathological examination revealed the diagnosis of osteochondroma. No new clinical or radiological findings were detected in the 10-month follow-up.     

Tarsal tunnel syndrome caused by epineural ganglion of the posterior tibial nerve: report of 2 cases and review of the literature

Ganglia within the posterior tibial nerve is a rare condition. The authors report 2 cases of epineural ganglion of the posterior tibial nerve, causing tarsal tunnel syndrome. Both cases presented with numbness on the plantar surface of the foot. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the presence of the cyst within the tarsal tunnel. During surgery, these cysts were found within the epineurium of the posterior tibial nerve and were successfully removed without damage to nerve fibers. Both patients were free of symptoms after surgery. Ganglion cysts in the peripheral nerve are either intrafascicular or epineural. Intrafascicular ganglia present beneath the epineurium and involve the nerve fibers, whereas epineural ganglia are located in the epineurium and do not involve the nerve fibers. A review of the literature discusses these concepts. The authors suggest that epineural ganglion should be clinically distinctive from an intrafascicular ganglion because of the differences in surgical treatment, postoperative nerve function, and the recurrence rate.     

微型钩刀治疗腕管综合征12例

我们自行设计了微型钩刀配合扩张导管在半直视下松解腕管的新方法,治疗腕管综合征12例,效果良好,现报道如下.……     

Carpal tunnel syndrome due to heterotopic ossification

We report a rare case of carpal tunnel syndrome due to heterotopic ossification in the carpal tunnel in a 34-year-old woman without antecedents of neurological injury, musculoskeletal trauma, or metabolic disorder. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case. Incomplete excision of heterotopic ossification resulted in partial relief of symptoms.     

痛风结石致腕管综合征一例

狭窄的腕管内有正中神经、9条屈肌腱和结缔组织,因此正中神经容易在腕管内受到压迫而发生直接损害或间接卡压,出现支配感觉异常和功能障碍,导致了腕管综合征. 近年来,痛风的发病率逐年增加,而痛风结石可能间接压迫正中神经引起腕管综合征.痛风结石造成的腕管综合征在国内较少见,且多为个案报道[1],临床上可能出现因认识不足而造成误诊或漏诊,对病人的治疗产生不良影响.     

Predictive factors of effective tibial nerve release in tarsal tunnel syndrome

BackgroundFactors that may affect surgical decompression results in tarsal tunnel syndrome are not known.MethodsA retrospective single-center study included patients who had undergone surgical tibial nerve release. The effectiveness of decompression was evaluated according to whether the patient would or would not be willing to undergo another surgical procedure in similar preoperative circumstances.ResultsThe patients stated for 43 feet (51%) that they would agree to a further procedure in similar circumstances. Six feet with space-occupying lesions on imaging had improved results, but neurolysis failed in 9 feet with bone-nerve contact. Neurolysis was significantly less effective when marked hindfoot valgus (p = 0.034), varus (p = 0.014), or fasciitis (p = 0.019) were present.ConclusionsIf imaging reveals a compressive space-occupying lesion, surgery has a good prognosis. In feet with static hindfoot disorders or plantar fasciitis, conservative treatment must be optimized. Bone-nerve contact should systematically be sought.     

Acute carpal tunnel syndrome secondary to iatrogenic hemorrhage. A case report

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common compression neuropathy of the median nerve. Acute carpal tunnel syndrome (aCTS) is rare, associated with a variety of conditions. In this case report we present a patient who developed aCTS and volar forearm compartment syndrome after a radial artery line placement, while receiving intravenous heparin. The patient underwent immediate forearm fasciotomy and surgical release for restoration of nerve function, which resulted in improved hand function and mild residual median nerve neuropathy. There is controversy whether to discontinue or not anticoagulation in a patient with aCTS. In our patient, heparin therapy was restarted on the second postoperative day.