Prevalence of Obesity in High Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) occurs when an individual suffers from tibial nerve compression at the tarsal tunnel. Symptoms of TTS may include pain, burning, or tingling on the bottom of the foot and into the toes. Tarsal tunnel syndrome can be divided into distal and proximal TTS. Furthermore, a high tarsal tunnel syndrome (HTTS) has also been described as a fascial entrapment proximal to the laciniate ligament at the level of the high ankle. Multiple risk factors, including obesity, have been said to be associated with TTS. This study aimed to determine the frequency of obesity in the form of body mass index (BMI) with HTTS.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study using a nonprobability sampling method retrospectively surveyed the BMI of 73 patients whose clinical presentation suggested HTTS or TTS, and in which electrodiagnostic testing found HTTS. The age of the patients ranged from 25 to 90 years (mean, 56.4 years). Thirty-five patients were men and 38 patients were women.

Results: Based on BMI, nine patients with HTTS had normal weight (12.9%), 17 patients were overweight (23.3%), and the remaining 47 patients were obese (64.3%).

Conclusions: The frequency of obesity in the form of BMI was 64.3% in patients with HTTS, which is a significantly high correlation.