Tarsal tunnel decompression, or TTD, remains a key method for improving plantar sensations in diabetic neuropathy and preventing ulcers and related complications, according to a new study.
Diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy is the most common form of neuropathy, and loss of sensations in the sole often leads to injuries or diabetic foot ulcers. A tarsal tunnel procedure in which a surgeon releases the ligament can notably help restore some sensation.
Such surgical decompression has long been used to treat diabetic neuropathy, but its effectiveness had been questioned recently. Researchers at India’s NSCB Government Medical College set out to evaluate sensory recovery after the decompression surgery.
They studied 13 patients, ages 28 to 70, and assessed their sensitivity to touch, pain, temperature, pressure, vibration and two-point discrimination. Their results, published in the May-June issue of the Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma, found all patients recovered touch, pain and pressure sensitivities. Three-quarters of patients recovered temperature perception, while most also could detect vibrations within a normal range.
