“Ankle pain?”
I had a tarsal tunnel release and plantar fascia release back in February 2021. This is the 2nd time I had the plantar fascia release in 4 years same foot. I started having numbness in the big toe 2 months after surgery and during physical therapy, my ankle buckled inwards. Saw the doctor and was told to wait and see the numbness. Now I am having sharp stabbing pain in the ankle and in the area of the plantar fascia (on-and off), swelling in the ankle, and continuous numbness of the foot and ankle. During physical therapy have noticed foot becomes painful all over and feels heavy.
Female | 37 years old
Complaint duration: 1 month
Medications: None
Conditions: Plantar fasciitis and tarsal tunnel
10 Answers
OrthopaedicSurgeonOrthopaedicSurgeon
I would go back to your surgeon and discuss this issue. the other option is to get a second opinion.
You could have had the plantar nerves damaged during your plantar fascia surgery. Alternatively, you could be suffering from other kinds of nerve damage that can result from trauma or surgery. Some of these conditions, such as CRPS (Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome) are very serious and very difficult to diagnose and treat. Ask your surgeon to send you for neurologic testing, to start with. Then seen what the results show. You may need an MRI or other imaging studies also to evaluate the problem.
I recommend you discuss with the surgeon if further workup is needed to see if another problem has developed
I am not sure why the second surgery was done if you already had a plantar fascial release. At this point you are experiencing postoperative pain, possible nerve injury from the second surgery and possibly a condition called complex regional pain syndrome. Contact your physician again. If he or she does not suggest any additional therapy you may want to consult another foot and ankle surgeon and also consult a pain management specialist additional treatment options.
Tarsal tunnel and plantar fascia surgery heal slowly and can take 6 months to one year to heal, longer if you smoke. Would add ankle strengthening exercises.
Hello,
These are always difficult problems. I am not sure of the time frame from your surgery, but if you are getting no improvement, working with therapy at home or supervised, or had reinjury, then I would suggest enhanced MRI of the tarsal tunnel and plantar fascia. I would look for swelling or injury to nerve, compression of nerve, scar or bone impinging on nerve, to name a few possible problems.
Good luck.
These are always difficult problems. I am not sure of the time frame from your surgery, but if you are getting no improvement, working with therapy at home or supervised, or had reinjury, then I would suggest enhanced MRI of the tarsal tunnel and plantar fascia. I would look for swelling or injury to nerve, compression of nerve, scar or bone impinging on nerve, to name a few possible problems.
Good luck.
This is a difficult situation and there’s no way I could give a reliable opinion without examining, seeing various test results. There may have been additional nerve damage during the course of the tarsal tunnel surgery or various other possible complications. I would get additions opinions from other surgical podiatrists.
These are serious and complicated surgical procedures. It seems, based on your symptoms, that there could have been some nerve damage during the surgery, or during the healing process there has been scar tissue (collegen) constricting the medial and lateral plantar nerves. You need to be reevaluated ASAP and an MRI should be performed to evaluate the nerves.
Unfortunately, it sounds like you may have sustained some nerve damage. As a first step, I would recommend a new EMG of your leg and foot as well as and MRI to check if there is any ligament weakness.
Christopher B. Michelsen, MD, FAOA, FAAOS, FACS
Christopher B. Michelsen, MD, FAOA, FAAOS, FACS
It appears that you need further studies performed: MRI and EMG/NCV
