Sonographically-guided alcohol injections has a high success rate and is well tolerated by patients with Mortons neuroma, a common cause of foot pain, as per a recent study conducted by scientists at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and Kingston Hospital NHS Trust in Middlesex, United Kingdom.

Mortons neuroma is a growth of nerve tissue that occurs in a nerve in your foot, often between your third and fourth toes and commonly causes a sharp, burning pain in the ball of your foot. For this study, scientists assessed the efficacy of a series of alcohol injections into the lesion.

I felt a number of patients with Mortons neuroma were undergoing an operation that was unnecessary and that the neuroma could be successfully treated in a less invasive manner, said David Connell, MD, lead author of the study.

The study consisted of 101 patients with Mortons neuroma. An average of 4.1 therapys per person were administered, and follow-up images were obtained at a mean of 21.1 months after the last therapy.

As per the study, there was a technical success rate of 100%. In 94% of the patients, partial or total symptom improvement was reported, with 84% becoming totally pain free. Thirty patients underwent sonography at six months after the last injection and showed a 30% decrease in the size of the neuroma.

Surprisingly, most patients maintain innervation to the toes despite the alcohol ablation, said Dr. Connell. This means that they dont have the permanent numbness and loss of sensation that accompanies resection of the nerve at surgery, he said.


Posted by: Rose    Source

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