Original Article

The use of intralesional and posterior tibial nerve pulsed radiofrequency in the treatment of calcaneal spur

10.26657/gulhane.00077

  • Ender Sır
  • Sami Eksert

Received Date: 08.08.2019 Accepted Date: 11.09.2019 Gulhane Med J 2019;61(4):162-166

Aims:

Heel spur is a painful disease that adversely affects the quality of life of many people in different age groups. Many treatment methods have been described for pain management, and new techniques continue to be defined. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of pulsed radiofrequency(PRF) application into the lesion and the posterior tibial nerve in the treatment of heel spur pain.

Methods:

The medical records of 29 patients with chronic heel pain due to calcaneal spur and treated with PRF were reviewed. Group I received only intralesional PRF, Group II received both intralesional and posterior tibial nerve PRF. Numeric Rating Scale(NRS) was used to assess the pain level, The American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Score(AOFAS) for the functional capacity, and the Likert score was used for the patient satisfaction. Measurements were performed before the procedure, at 3 weeks and 3 months after the procedure.

Results:

Fifteen and fourteen patients were included in Group I and Group II, respectively. In both groups, NRS, AOFAS, and Likert scores at 3 weeks and 3 months were significantly improved when compared to pre-procedure values(p<0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of NRS, AOFAS and Likert scores(p>0.05).

Conclusions:

According to the results of the study, it was observed that the posterior tibial nerve PRF administration in addition to intralesional PRF, did not contribute to the reduction of pain and increase of functional capacity. Besides, it was concluded that intralesional PRF alone had good enough results in the management of heel spur pain.

Keywords: Heel spur, posterior tibial nerve, pulsed radiofrequency, intractable pain, plantar fasciitis.