Effect of Foot and Ankle Position on Tarsal Tunnel Compartment Pressure

Tarsal tunnel intracompartment pressures were determined in 10 fresh-frozen normal human adult cadaver specimens. With the foot and ankle held in mild plantarflexion and neutral eversion-inversion, mean tarsal tunnel pressure was minimal (2 ± 1 mmHg). However, when the foot and ankle were positioned...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Foot & ankle international 1999-11, Vol.20 (11), p.721-726
Main Authors: Trepman, Elly, Kadel, Nancy J., Chisholm, Kathleen, Razzano, Lynn
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Ankle - physiology
Biomechanical Phenomena
Cadaver
Foot - physiology
Humans
Models, Biological
Pressure
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome - physiopathology
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome - therapy
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Summary:Tarsal tunnel intracompartment pressures were determined in 10 fresh-frozen normal human adult cadaver specimens. With the foot and ankle held in mild plantarflexion and neutral eversion-inversion, mean tarsal tunnel pressure was minimal (2 ± 1 mmHg). However, when the foot and ankle were positioned in full eversion, mean tarsal tunnel pressure increased to 32 ± 5 mmHg (P ≤ 0.005); in full inversion, mean pressure increased to 17 ± 5 mmHg (P ≤ 0.05). There was no significant difference in mean tarsal tunnel pressure between the everted and inverted positions. These results support the hypothesis that increased pressure within the tarsal tunnel when the foot is moved into the everted or inverted position may aggravate posterior tibial nerve entrapment. These findings may also provide an explanation for clinically observed aggravation of symptoms in these positions, night pain, and improvement of symptoms with neutral immobilization in some patients with tarsal tunnel syndrome.
ISSN:1071-1007
1944-7876
DOI:10.1177/107110079902001108