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JAMA Dec 2023Morton neuroma, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendinopathy are foot and ankle conditions that are associated with pain and disability, but they can respond to... (Review)
Review
IMPORTANCE
Morton neuroma, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendinopathy are foot and ankle conditions that are associated with pain and disability, but they can respond to nonoperative treatment.
OBSERVATIONS
Morton neuroma, consisting of interdigital neuronal thickening and fibrosis, is characterized by burning pain in the ball of the foot and numbness or burning pain that may radiate to the affected toes (commonly the third and fourth toes). First-line nonoperative therapy consists of reducing activities that cause pain, orthotics, and interdigital corticosteroid injection; however, approximately 30% of patients may not respond to conservative treatment. Plantar fasciitis accounts for more than 1 million patient visits per year in the US and typically presents with plantar heel pain. Fifteen years after diagnosis, approximately 44% of patients continue to have pain. First-line nonoperative therapy includes stretching of the plantar fascia and foot orthotics, followed by extracorporeal shockwave therapy, corticosteroid injection, or platelet-rich plasma injection. Midportion Achilles tendinopathy presents with pain approximately 2 to 6 cm proximal to the Achilles insertion on the heel. The primary nonoperative treatment involves eccentric strengthening exercises, but extracorporeal shockwave therapy may be used.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Morton neuroma, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendinopathy are painful foot and ankle conditions. First-line therapies are activity restriction, orthotics, and corticosteroid injection for Morton neuroma; stretching and foot orthotics for plantar fasciitis; and eccentric strengthening exercises for Achilles tendinopathy.
Topics: Humans; Achilles Tendon; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Ankle; Fasciitis, Plantar; Morton Neuroma; Pain; Tendinopathy; Foot
PubMed: 38112812
DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.23906 -
Cardiovascular and Interventional... Jun 2024
Topics: Humans; Ultrasonography, Interventional; Cryosurgery; Morton Neuroma; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 38769208
DOI: 10.1007/s00270-024-03741-w -
Journal of Foot and Ankle Research Sep 2023Surgical resection of Morton's neuroma includes dorsal and plantar approaches. However, there is no consensus on the choice of approach in clinic. The purpose of this... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Surgical resection of Morton's neuroma includes dorsal and plantar approaches. However, there is no consensus on the choice of approach in clinic. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the surgical results of dorsal and plantar approaches.
METHODS
The literatures of PubMed, Cochrane library, Embase and Web of Science were searched on April 26th, 2023. A systematic review was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. The data were extracted after screening the literature and evaluating the quality of the methodology included in the study. The RevMan5.4 software was used to analyze and calculate the OR value and 95% confidence interval.
RESULTS
A total of 7 randomized controlled trials and comparative studies were published, of which only 5 were included. There were 158 feet via plantar approach (plantar group, PG) and 189 via dorsal approach (dorsal group, DG). There was no significant difference between PG and DG in overall adverse events, sensory problems, incision infection and deep vein thrombosis (p > 0.05). In terms of scar problems, PG showed more than DG (OR, 2.90[95%CI, 1.40 to 5.98]; p = 0.004). Other outcome indicators such as visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores were difficult to be included in the comparison.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the relatively low quality and small amount of available evidence, the meta-analysis conducted produces a hypothesis that the frequency of adverse events in surgical treatment of Morton's neuroma, dorsal approach and plantar approach may be the same, but the types are different. More high-level evidence is needed to further verify this hypothesis.
Topics: Humans; Morton Neuroma; Consensus; Lower Extremity; Orthopedics; Software
PubMed: 37674248
DOI: 10.1186/s13047-023-00660-w -
Journal of Ultrasound Mar 2024Ultrasound guidance is particularly useful for percutaneous injections in the diagnosis and management of painful conditions of the ankle and foot. The injectates used...
Ultrasound guidance is particularly useful for percutaneous injections in the diagnosis and management of painful conditions of the ankle and foot. The injectates used include steroids and local anesthetics, such as lidocaine, mepivacaine, bupivacaine, ropivacaine, and platelet-rich plasma. Osteoarthritis is the main indication for joint injections. Joints amenable to being injected include the tibiotalar, subtalar, midtarsal, and metatarsophalangeal joints. Tendon injections mainly involve the Achilles, peroneus, extensors, and tibialis tendons, while plantar fascia injections are useful for treating plantar fasciitis and plantar fibromatosis. Forefoot injections include joint arthritis, intermetatarsal bursitis, and Morton neuroma. The standardized approaches and doses reviewed in this paper are based on the authors' experience and can lead to high success in symptomatic relief for various conditions. These injections can be curative or serve as a guide to identify the source of pain when surgery or other therapeutic options are planned.
Topics: Humans; Ankle; Lower Extremity; Ankle Joint; Achilles Tendon; Pain; Ultrasonography, Interventional
PubMed: 37518823
DOI: 10.1007/s40477-023-00808-1 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Feb 2024Morton's neuroma (MN) is a painful neuropathy resulting from a benign enlargement of the common plantar digital nerve that occurs commonly in the third webspace and,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Morton's neuroma (MN) is a painful neuropathy resulting from a benign enlargement of the common plantar digital nerve that occurs commonly in the third webspace and, less often, in the second webspace of the foot. Symptoms include burning or shooting pain in the webspace that extends to the toes, or the sensation of walking on a pebble. These impact on weight-bearing activities and quality of life.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the benefits and harms of interventions for MN.
SEARCH METHODS
On 11 July 2022, we searched CENTRAL, CINAHL Plus EBSCOhost, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Neuromuscular Specialised Register, Embase Ovid, MEDLINE Ovid, and WHO ICTRP. We checked the bibliographies of identified randomised trials and systematic reviews and contacted trial authors as needed.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included all randomised, parallel-group trials (RCTs) of any intervention compared with placebo, control, or another intervention for MN. We included trials where allocation occurred at the level of the individual or the foot (clustered data). We included trials that confirmed MN through symptoms, a clinical test, and an ultrasound scan (USS) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard Cochrane methodological procedures. We assessed bias using Cochrane's risk of bias 2 tool (RoB 2) and assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE framework.
MAIN RESULTS
We included six RCTs involving 373 participants with MN. We judged risk of bias as having 'some concerns' across most outcomes. No studies had a low risk of bias across all domains. Post-intervention time points reported were: three months to less than 12 months from baseline (nonsurgical outcomes), and 12 months or longer from baseline (surgical outcomes). The primary outcome was pain, and secondary outcomes were function, satisfaction or health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and adverse events (AE). Nonsurgical treatments Corticosteroid and local anaesthetic injection (CS+LA) versus local anaesthetic injection (LA) Two RCTs compared CS+LA versus LA. At three to six months: • CS+LA may result in little to no difference in pain (mean difference (MD) -6.31 mm, 95% confidence interval (CI) -14.23 to 1.61; P = 0.12, I = 0%; 2 studies, 157 participants; low-certainty evidence). (Assessed via a pain visual analogue scale (VAS; 0 to 100 mm); a lower score indicated less pain.) • CS+LA may result in little to no difference in function when compared with LA (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.30, 95% CI -0.61 to 0.02; P = 0.06, I = 0%; 2 studies, 157 participants; low-certainty evidence). (Function was measured using: the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Lesser Toe Metatarsophalangeal-lnterphalangeal Scale (AOFAS; 0 to 100 points) - we transformed the scale so that a lower score indicated improved function - and the Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Schedule (MFPDS; 0 to 100 points), where a lower score indicated improved function.) • CS+LA probably results in little to no difference in HRQoL when compared to LA (MD 0.07, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.17; P = 0.19; 1 study, 122 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), and CS+LA may not increase satisfaction (risk ratio (RR) 1.08, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.85; P = 0.78; 1 study, 35 participants; low-certainty evidence). (Assessed using the EuroQol five dimension instrument (EQ-5D; 0-1 point); a higher score indicated improved HRQoL.) • The evidence is very uncertain about the effects of CS+LA on AE when compared with LA (RR 9.84, 95% CI 1.28 to 75.56; P = 0.03, I = 0%; 2 studies, 157 participants; very low-certainty evidence). Adverse events for CS+LA included mild skin atrophy (3.9%), hypopigmentation of the skin (3.9%) and plantar fat pad atrophy (2.6%); no adverse events were observed with LA. Ultrasound-guided (UG) CS+LA versus non-ultrasound-guided (NUG) CS+LA Two RCTs compared UG CS+LA versus NUG CS+LA. At six months: • UG CS+LA probably reduces pain when compared with NUG CS+LA (MD -15.01 mm, 95% CI -27.88 to -2.14; P = 0.02, I = 0%; 2 studies, 116 feet; moderate-certainty evidence). (Assessed with a pain VAS.) • UG CS+LA probably increases function when compared with NUG CS+LA (SMD -0.47, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.10; P = 0.01, I = 0%; 2 studies, 116 feet; moderate-certainty evidence). We do not know of any established minimum clinical important difference (MCID) for the scales that assessed function, specifically, the MFPDS and the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ; 0 to 100 points; a lower score indicated improved function.) • UG CS+LA may increase satisfaction compared with NUG CS+LA (risk ratio (RR) 1.71, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.44; P = 0.003, I = 15%; 2 studies, 114 feet; low-certainty evidence). • HRQoL was not measured. • UG CS+LA may result in little to no difference in AE when compared with NUG CS+LA (RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.12 to 1.39; P = 0.15, I = 0%; 2 studies, 116 feet; low-certainty evidence). AE included depigmentation or fat atrophy for UG CS+LA (4.9%) and NUG CS+LA (12.7%). Surgical treatments Plantar incision neurectomy (PN) versus dorsal incision neurectomy (DN) One study compared PN versus DN. At 34 months (mean; range 28 to 42 months), PN may result in little to no difference for satisfaction (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.28; P = 0.58; 1 study, 73 participants; low-certainty evidence), or for AE (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.32 to 2.85; P = 0.93; 1 study, 75 participants; low-certainty evidence) compared with DN. AE for PN included hypertrophic scaring (11.4%), foreign body reaction (2.9%); AE for DN included missed nerve (2.5%), artery resected (2.5%), wound infection (2.5%), postoperative dehiscence (2.5%), deep vein thrombosis (2.5%) and reoperation with plantar incision due to intolerable pain (5%). The data reported for pain and function were not suitable for analysis. HRQoL was not measured.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Although there are many interventions for MN, few have been assessed in RCTs. There is low-certainty evidence that CS+LA may result in little to no difference in pain or function, and moderate-certainty evidence that UG CS+LA probably reduces pain and increases function for people with MN. Future trials should improve methodology to increase certainty of the evidence, and use optimal sample sizes to decrease imprecision.
Topics: Humans; Morton Neuroma; Anesthetics, Local; Quality of Life; Pain; Atrophy
PubMed: 38334217
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD014687.pub2 -
Foot and Ankle Surgery : Official... Jun 2024Current literature lacks comprehensive information comparing the clinical outcomes of plantar and dorsal approaches for Civinini-Morton syndrome, also known as Morton's... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Current literature lacks comprehensive information comparing the clinical outcomes of plantar and dorsal approaches for Civinini-Morton syndrome, also known as Morton's neuroma. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate and compare the clinical outcomes of neurectomy for Morton's neuroma, focusing on the differences between the plantar and dorsal approach.
METHODS
Our comprehensive literature review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and utilized databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Data investigated in this study included postoperative sensory loss, scar tenderness, reoperation, histopathology, complications, pain score, patient satisfaction, functional scores, and time to weight bearing.
RESULTS
Total eight studies were included in this study. In aggregate, 237 neuromas underwent excision using the plantar approach, while 312 neuromas were treated via the dorsal approach. A significantly higher rate of postoperative reduced sensory was found in the dorsal group: 48.5 % (64/132) Vs. 62.0 % (80/129) with the relative ratio (RR) of 0.79 (95 % CI, 0.64-0.97). A significantly higher rate of postoperative scar tenderness was noted in the plantar group: 16.7 % (32/192) Vs. 6.2 % (14/225) with the RR of 2.27 (95 % CI, 1.28-4.04). Regarding the histopathology, 99.3 % (143/144) and 97.1 % (134/138) accuracy rate was confirmed in the plantar approach and dorsal approach, respectively, with the RR of 1.02 (95 % CI, 0.98-1.07). Overall reoperations and complications were not different between groups at 5.3 % (10/189) and 8.8 % (19/216) in the plantar group versus 6.1 % and 12.0 % (35/291) in dorsal group.
CONCLUSIONS
We recommend detailed discussions with patients prior to surgery to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
PubMed: 38880729
DOI: 10.1016/j.fas.2024.05.018 -
Cardiovascular and Interventional... Jun 2024To assess the technical success, safety and early efficacy of Morton neuroma (MN) cryoneurolysis.
PURPOSE
To assess the technical success, safety and early efficacy of Morton neuroma (MN) cryoneurolysis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Retrospective review of 54 consecutive patients with MN treated with cryoneurolysis after failure of conservative treatment, from September 2022 to June 2023. Outcomes measurements included technical success (defined a successful ultrasound-guided placement of the cryoprobe), procedural safety according to Cirse classification and change in 6 months post-procedure by pain numeric rating scale (pNRS).
RESULTS
A total of 59 MN were treated during 55 procedures. Mean procedure duration was 47 min, all patients were discharged 2 h after the intervention. Technical success was 98.1%. No Cirse grade 3, 4 or 5 complication was reported. Three grade 2 complication occurred, including two chilblain-type lesions and one bone insufficiency fracture. At 6 months post-procedure, pNRS score was significantly decreased (2.7 ± 2.2 vs 7.1 ± 1.1) (p < 0.0001), with a mean score decrease of 4.1points. Thirty-two patients (60.4%) reported a complete pain relief, 15 (28.3%) a partial pain relief and 6 (11.3%) no pain relief, or increased pain.
CONCLUSION
Cryoneurolysis seems to be safe for the treatment of Morton neuroma. Six-month pain relief is promising and needs to be confirmed at long term.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Retrospective Studies; Middle Aged; Ultrasonography, Interventional; Cryosurgery; Adult; Morton Neuroma; Aged; Treatment Outcome; Pain Measurement
PubMed: 38438685
DOI: 10.1007/s00270-024-03669-1 -
The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery :... 2023This study investigates whether clinical examination is as sensitive as ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis and localization of symptomatic...
This study investigates whether clinical examination is as sensitive as ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis and localization of symptomatic interdigital neuroma. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at two tertiary centers on all consecutive patients who underwent excision by a single foot and ankle specialist surgeon for a presumed interdigital neuroma between January 2008 and December 2020. Investigators collected preoperative clinical findings, radiological investigations, and postoperative outcomes. Sensitivity and positive predictive values were calculated and Z-score for 2 populations proportions was performed. One hundred fourteen consecutive patients were operated on for 131 suspected interdigital neuroma. Thirteen patients were excluded due to lack of adequate clinical documentation. Of the remaining 101 patients with 118 suspected interdigital neuroma, 115 were confirmed histologically (97.5%). The sensitivity of clinical assessment to accurately diagnose and place an interdigital neuroma in the correct space was calculated as 96.5%. The most common preoperative clinical feature was pain (99.2%). The calculated sensitivity for ultrasound to accurately diagnose an interdigital neuroma was 83.6%, and to correctly locate neuroma was 79.5% respectively, which were both statistically different compared to clinical assessment (p value: <.001 and p value: <.001). The calculated sensitivity for MRI to accurately diagnose an interdigital neuroma was 93.6%, which was statistically different to clinical assessment (p value: .005). Preoperative clinical assessment has the highest sensitivity to accurately diagnose interdigital neuroma when compared to MRI and ultrasound. Preoperative clinical assessment has higher sensitivity to accurately locate interdigital neuroma when compared to ultrasound.
Topics: Humans; Retrospective Studies; Neuroma; Morton Neuroma; Radiography; Physical Examination; Foot Diseases
PubMed: 37353000
DOI: 10.1053/j.jfas.2023.06.002