Differences in Diagnosing Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome Across the Literature

BACKGROUND: The lack of a gold standard in tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) diagnosis leads to diagnostic inconsistencies and variation in patient selection for treatment. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize the diagnostic criteria used in current studies on TTS based upon this best-evidence synthesis. METHODS: Three databases were searched to identify all studies on TTS. Studies were included when they included (1) diagnosis or treatment of TTS as the primary focus, (2) a description of the diagnosis of TTS, (3) an original data set of TTS cases, and (4) a minimum of 10 adult patients diagnosed with TTS. A best-evidence synthesis was used to summarize the results. RESULTS: In total, 4,213 patients were represented in 82 included studies. Among the varying diagnostic methods employed, aside from clinical symptoms, provocative testing was most often used (in 94% of studies, mandatory for diagnosis in 41% of studies) with the Tinel sign being the most prevalent (used in 89% of studies). Sensitivities of provocative tests, electrodiagnostic, and ultrasound measurements showed significant variability. CONCLUSION: We provided an overview of the diagnostic tools and workups reported in the literature on TTS. Our findings show that the lack of a standardized diagnostic approach results in considerable variability in clinical practice. Alongside typical clinical symptoms, the Tinel sign is the most frequently used diagnostic test. The varying sensitivities reported in literature underscore the need for evidence-based diagnostic guidelines on TTS diagnosis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.