Tarsal tunnel syndrome. A retrospective study.

Many etiologies of tarsal tunnel syndrome exist, but it is difficult to determine the specific etiology for a patient. Surgical success rates vary in the literature from 44% to 100%. This retrospective study reviewed 40 patients with 45 data sets. Thirty-five patients (87.5%) in the study were female; 35 patients (87.5%) were caucasian. Thirty-two feet (71.1%) showed improvement following the tarsal tunnel surgery. The Tinel's sign parameter improvement was statistically significant. The differences in the subjective parameters of burning, radiating, and sharp sensations were statistically significant, while the differences in pins and needle sensation were nearly significant. The Takakura index and its constituent parameters were all statistically significant postoperatively with the exception of muscle atrophy, which did not have sufficient data for testing.