Compressive Neuropathies and Plantar Fascial Lesions

Abstract

Heel pain is a common complaint, and there are a number of pathologic processes that can produce this symptom. The multitude of disorders that can present with heel pain is compounded by the difficulty in differentiating these conditions clinically. As such, MR imaging has become virtually indispensable for the making of a diagnosis. Disorders that cause compression of the nerves are often difficult to diagnose noninvasively, and two important conditions in this respect that will be discussed in detail in this chapter are tarsal tunnel syndrome and sinus tarsi syndrome. One of the most recognizable causes of heel pain is plantar fasciitis. Yet there are a number of other disorders that affect the plantar fascia that may elicit similar symptoms. These entities include acute plantar fasciitis, chronic plantar fasciitis, traumatic rupture, fibromatosis, normal postsurgical changes, and pathologic postfasciotomy conditions.