Medial calcaneal neuropathy : a missed etiology of chronic plantar heel pain

Abstract EN

Medial calcaneal neuropathy had been implicated as a source of chronic plantar heel pain.

Aim The aim was to determine the presence of medial calcaneal neuropathy as a cause of chronic plantar heel pain.

Patients and methods The present study included 43 heels obtained from 38 patientswith chronic plantar heel pain and 30 apparently healthy volunteers as a control group.Clinical examinationwas done.

Sensory nerve conduction study of the medial calcaneal nerve was performed.

This was a single-center, public hospital-based study.

It was designed as a crosssectional examination of consecutive patients with chronic plantar heel pain.

Results There were 27 (62.79%) heels, from 23 (60.52%) patients, who had medial calcaneal neuropathy.

From them, unobtainable medial calcaneal nerve response was present in 10 (37.03%) heels of nine (39.13%) patients.

Medial calcaneal neuropathy was the solitary cause of chronic plantar heel pain in 10 (37.03%) heels from 10 (43.48%) patients.

However, it was associated with other local heel pathologies in the remaining patients.

The majority of them were having plantar fasciitis in nine (33.34%) heels from five (21.73%) patients.

Conclusion Medial calcaneal neuropathy is present in a considerable number of patients with chronic plantar heel pain.

It should be taken into consideration during the assessment of any patient with chronic plantar heel pain.