Which of the following is a commonest cause for neuralgic pain in foot?
High-Yield Explanation
Compression of communication between medial and lateral plantar nerves is a common cause for neuralgic pain in foot. At the flexor retinaculum, the tibial nerve divides into the lateral and medial plantar nerves, compression here results in tarsal tunnel syndrome. Tarsal tunnel is located deep to the flexor retinaculum and posterior and inferior to the medial malleolus. It contains the posterior tibial nerve, tibialis posterior, flexor or digitorum longus and flexor hallucis longus tendons along with posterior tibial aery and vein. Posterior tibial nerve divides within the tarsal tunnel into 3 branches: medial calcaneal nerve, lateral plantar nerve and medial plantar nerve. Tarsal tunnel syndrome result from the entrapment of posterior tibial nerve and one of its branches. Patients presents with poorly localized burning pain and parasthesia along the plantar surface of the foot and toes. Ref: Musculoskeletal Diseases 2009-2012: Diagnostic Imaging By J. Hodler, Page 55.