Tibial Nerve Decompression in Patients with Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome: Pressures in the Tarsal, Medial Plantar, and Lateral Plantar Tunnels

Abstract

Many surgeons operating on patients with tarsal tunnel syndrome do not decompress the respective medial plantar and lateral plantar nerves and excise the septum. The authors' study validates the hypotheses that patients who are clinically suspected of having chronic compression of the tibial nerve and its branches at the ankle have higher tunnel pressures and that releasing these structures decreases the pressures.