Plantar Nerve Injuries Related to Calcaneal Fractures

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: We investigated plantar nerve injuries associated with calcaneal fracture and severity of disability. METHOD: From July, 2001 to June, 2002, twelve patients who had calcaneal fractures with persistent foot pain and paresthesia were included in our study. We examined electromyography for medial and lateral plantar nerve, inferior calcaneal nerve, also evaluated types of calcaneal fracture and severity of pain and disability with nerve injury. RESULTS: The intraarticular types were 13 cases, extraarticular type was 1 case and communited types were 2 cases. In the electromyographic findings, the 9 cases were diagnosed asneuropathy. In a cases with neuropathy, 8 persons complained over moderate degree of pain and all persons complained over moderate degree of walking disability. However one of three persons without neuropathy complained over moderate degree of walking disability. So disability tended to be more severe in cases with neuropathy. CONCLUSION: We think that neuropathy associated with calcaneal fracture is a cause of aggravation of pain and walking disability, and electromyography for nerves of foot will be needed in the calcaneal fracture.