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A Guide To Nerve Wrapping For Tarsal Tunnel Surgery: Features
A Guide To Nerve Wrapping For Tarsal Tunnel Surgery: Features
For adult patients with chronic gout See Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning,
refractory to conventional treatments. and Medication Guide.
Important Limitations of Use: KRYSTEXXA is not recommended for the IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia. WARNING: ANAPHYLAXIS AND INFUSION REACTIONS
Scroll to see full safety and Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning.
Anaphylaxis and infusion reactions have been reported
to occur during and after administration of KRYSTEXXA.
Surgery
increased rate of mortality
secondary malignancy was
observed in patients
treated with 3 or more
tubes of REGRANEX
(becaplermin) Gel, 0.01%
November 19, 2015 in a postmarketing
retrospective cohort study.
REGRANEX Gel should
Volume 28 - Issue 12 - December 2015 (/issue/5495) Proper wound only be used when the
benefits can be expected
Pages: 32 - 39 care requires to outweigh the risks.
REGRANEX Gel should be
Michael S. Downey, DPM, FACFAS used with caution in
patients with known
malignancy.
Click here for
Prescribing information
(https://www.printfriendly.com/print?url=https://www.podiatrytoday.com/guide-nerve-wrapping-tarsal-tunnel-
surgery) RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
years, the idea of nerve entubulation or “wrapping” around the nerve has emerged as a Current Issue ▶ Issue Archive
means of providing a barrier or “shield” against such extraneural scarring.
THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
Physicians have used many substances as barrier nerve wraps. These substances
include fat, fascia, collagen, gelatin, decalcified bone, blood vessels (veins), cartilage,
Which treatment do you use most
muscle, polyglactin, rubber, silicone tubing, silicone sheeting and amniotic membrane. often for plantar fasciitis?
Unfortunately, the literature and research on most of these substances have
concentrated on their use as nerve conduits for the repair of nerve deficits where one Corticosteroids
must span a nerve gap to allow nerve regeneration. There is very limited evidence Extracorporeal shockwave therapy
supporting any of these materials as barrier nerve wraps. Although the evidence is Stretching
limited, several of these substances have shown early promise in the described role of Platelet rich plasma
wrapping previously scarred nerves following external neurolysis. At this time, there is Orthotics
no one universally preferred material for nerve wrapping.
ligament-repair-
Furthermore, the patient’s history frequently reveals that the patient had temporary,
after-ankle-
short-term relief after the index neurolysis surgery. The symptoms may have subsided fracture)
for weeks or months until recurrent scar tissue formation tethers the nerve, causing
adhesive neuritis and a return of pain. In the case of a recurrent tarsal tunnel syndrome,
the physical examination may reveal tenderness over the posterior tibial nerve, porta TRENDING TOPICS
pedis and/or medial heel and distal tingling upon percussion (i.e., positive Tinel’s sign) Nutrition (/topics/nutrition)
with percussion of the posterior tibial nerve and/or its terminal branches. Dermatology (/topics-27)
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A Guide To Nerve Wrapping For Tarsal Tunnel Surgery | Podiatry Today 11/16/18, 8'22 PM
Podiatry Today
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or musculoskeletal ultrasound will likely reveal @PodiatryToday
findings consistent with post-surgical changes and the accompanying scar tissue. Top 10 Columns #9: Is Microfracture Obsolete For
The primary indication for nerve wrapping is following the neurolysis of scar tissue that Osteochondral Lesions Of The Talus?
By Bob Baravarian, DPM
both compresses the involved nerve and causes adhesions between the nerve and (Treatment Dilemmas, May
surrounding tissues. Wrapping the nerve prevents recurrent adhesive scar tissue and 2018)tinyurl.com/yc82wldb@ACFAS @APMA
What The Literature Reveals About Nerve Wrapping With Di!erent Biomaterials Biologically Clearing the Barriers to Wound
My initial experience with nerve wrapping involved the placement of 0.007-inch Healing: Changing the Wound Healing
Environment through Debridement
silicone sheeting around the involved nerves after external neurolysis in revisional (https://www.naccme.com/program/2016-667-
tarsal tunnel decompression surgery. This approach led to unpredictable and highly 2b)
variable results. Subsequent studies have shown that this ensheathing material is very
impermeable and often results in fibrous encapsulation of the wrapped nerve, likely
secondary to loss of the nerve’s extrinsic blood supply.4 UPCOMING EVENTS
Subsequent to the use of the synthetic silicone sheeting, I progressed to trying a Windy City Podiatry Conference
biologic material, namely the use of an autogenous saphenous vein graft wrap. With (/events/windy-city-podiatry-conference-4)
this technique, the surgeon harvests the greater saphenous vein from the ipsilateral
New York Foundation for Podiatric Medicine
lower extremity and wraps the vein around the involved nerve(s) with its endothelial (/events/new-york-foundation-podiatric-
surface against the nerve. Theoretically, the autogenous vein provides an external medicine)
barrier against scarring of the nerve and the surrounding tissues, which allows Podiatry Institute 26th Annual Winter
improvement in the vascular supply to the nerve. Hypothetically, the vein acts as a Conference (/events/podiatry-institute-26th-
gliding conduit for the nerve and the vascular endothelium prevents internal scar annual-winter-conference)
formation. American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
Annual Scientific Conference
In several clinical series, authors have examined the use of this technique for recurrent
(/events/american-college-foot-and-ankle-
tarsal tunnel syndrome.5-7 Gould reported wrapping a total of 65 nerves in the lower surgeons-annual-scientific-conference-2)
extremity, including the posterior tibial, superficial peroneal, common and deep
Foot and Ankle Surgery: Building Blocks for
peroneal, sural and intermetatarsal nerves.5 He reported 63 percent good or excellent Success (/events/foot-and-ankle-surgery-
results (i.e., no pain or occasional pain with exertion) and 37 percent fair to poor results. building-blocks-success)
Seventy five percent of the patients were satisfied with the results. The best outcomes
were in patients with external adhesions and those with internal scarring did the worst.
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A Guide To Nerve Wrapping For Tarsal Tunnel Surgery | Podiatry Today 11/16/18, 8'22 PM
Easley and Schon reviewed their series of vein wrapping procedures used for adhesive
neuralgia in 25 patients.7 They used the saphenous vein in 19 cases and a fetal
umbilical vein in six cases. Twenty one of their 25 cases were entrapment neuropathies
of the posterior tibial nerve. Seventeen of the 25 patients were satisfied with the
procedure (with or without reservations) whereas eight patients gained minimal or no
relief of their symptoms. The indications for vein wrapping in this series were (a)
intractable neurogenic pain, (b) failure of the non-operative management protocol, (c)
temporary relief of symptoms after previous neurolysis with subsequent recurrence and
(d) clinical findings consistent with adhesive neuralgia. The primary limitations of the
use of autogenous vein grafts to wrap a nerve are donor site morbidity and added
surgical time to harvest the vein graft.
Another material introduced for nerve wrapping is the AxoGuard Nerve Protector
(AxoGen). This xenograft material is a strong, pliable, cell-free collagen matrix
composed of porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS). The SIS material degrades over
a three-month period. The AxoGuard Nerve Protector is available in a range of
diameters from 2 mm to 10 mm with each diameter available in 2 cm and 4 cm lengths.
Several clinical studies have assessed its use and the SIS material appears to do well
with human implantation without any obvious adverse immunologic response.3
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A Guide To Nerve Wrapping For Tarsal Tunnel Surgery | Podiatry Today 11/16/18, 8'22 PM
There are no current studies assessing the value of using an amniotic membrane wrap
for revisional tarsal tunnel decompressions. However, there is mounting animal
research evidence and a few case reports in humans that strongly support its
continued use and investigation.
In 2011, Meng and colleagues published their assessment of the use of processed
human(/)amniotic membrane as a protective barrier in nerve defects created in Sprague Login (/user/login)
Dawley rats.9 The authors reported that wrapping of the sciatic nerves of rats with
human amniotic membrane enhanced functional recovery and nerve regeneration Subscribe (/e-news)
during the early stage after surgical injury and repair.
In 2014, Fesli and colleagues assessed the enhancement of the nerve healing potential
of a combined use of amniotic membrane wrap and granulocyte-colony-stimulating
factor injections after the primary repair of transected sciatic nerves in Wistar rats.10
The researchers concluded that their approach had supportive e!ects on nerve
regeneration.
Several isolated reports focus on the use of amniotic membrane wrapping of the
posterior tibial nerve and its terminal branches using products such as XWrap (Applied
Biologics), Clarix and Neox (Amniox Medical), and AlloWrap DS (AlloSource).11-13 When
using these products, wrap a sheet of the desired amniotic membrane material around
the decompressed nerve(s). The surgeon may or may not suture the wrap upon itself.
Do not suture the wrap to surrounding soft tissues.
Final Thoughts
Repeated nerve decompression (i.e., external neurolysis) alone does not always provide
satisfactory results in patients with recalcitrant tarsal tunnel syndrome. Surgeons can
use supplementary techniques with either synthetic or biologic adhesion barriers to
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A Guide To Nerve Wrapping For Tarsal Tunnel Surgery | Podiatry Today 11/16/18, 8'22 PM
wrap the nerve, improving functional recovery and preventing recurrent scarring.
Knowledge of these materials and the evidence supporting their use is critical to
patient safety and successful surgical outcomes.
Dr. Downey is the Chief of the Division of Podiatric Surgery at Penn Presbyterian Medical
Center in Philadelphia. He is a Senior Faculty member of the Podiatry Institute. Dr.
Downey is in private practice at Ankle & Foot Medical Centers of the Delaware Valley in
Pennsylvania.
References
1. Downey MS, Yarmel DJ. Tarsal tunnel syndrome. In Southerland JT, Boberg JS,
Downey MS, Nakra A, Rabjohn LV (eds.): McGlamry’s Comprehensive Textbook of
Foot and Ankle Surgery, Fourth Edition. Wolters Kluwer Health I Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2013, pp. 934-949.
2. Masear VR. Nerve wrapping. Foot Ankle Clin. 2011; 16(2):327-337.
3. Kehoe S, Zhang XF, Boyd D. FDA approved guidance conduits and wraps for
peripheral nerve injury: A review of materials and e!icacy. Injury. 2012; 43(5):553-
572.
4. Merle M, Dellon AL, Campbell JN and Chang PS. Complications from silicon-
polymer intubulation of nerves. Microsurgery. 1989; 10(2):130-133.
5. Gould JS. Autogenous vein wrapping for painful nerves in continuity. Foot Ankle
Clin. 1998; 3:527-536.
6. Campbell JT, Schon LC and Burkhardt LD. Histopathologic findings in
autogenous saphenous vein graft wrapping for recurrent tarsal tunnel syndrome:
a case report. Foot Ankle Int. 1998; 19(11):766-769.
7. Easley ME and Schon LC. Peripheral nerve vein wrapping for intractable lower
extremity pain. Foot Ankle Int. 2000; 21(6):492-500.
8. Kim SS, Sohn SK, Lee KY, Lee MJ, Roh MS, Kim CH. Use of human amniotic
membrane in reducing perineural adhesions in a rabbit model of ulnar nerve
neurorrhaphy. J Hand Surg Eur Vol. 2010; 35(3):214-219.
9. Meng H, Li M, You F, Du J, Luo Z. Assessment of processed human amniotic
membrane as a protective barrier in rat model of sciatic nerve injury. Neurosci
Lett. 2011; 496(1):48-53.
10. Fesli A, Sari A, Yilmas N, Comelekoglu U, Tasdelen B. Enhancement of nerve
healing with the combined use of amniotic membrane and granulocyte-colony-
stimulating factor. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2014; 67(6):837-843.
11. Chicano D. Can amniotic membrane graft have an impact in lower extremity
surgery? Podiatry Today. 2012; 25(10):77.
12. Jacoby R. Tarsal tunnel compression neuropathy case study using FloGraft.
Applied Biologics. Available at https://www.appliedbiologics.com/education/.
2014.
13. Lee TH. Tarsal tunnel syndrome decompression. Available at
http://www.amnioxmedical.com/c222cda6a9_sites/www.amnioxmedical.com/files/EDU-
CS-04_Rev_G_2014_07_07Tarsal_Tunnel.pdf .
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