Baxter neuropathy

Baxter's neuropathy neuropathy is a nerve entrapment syndrome resulting from the compression of the inferior calcaneal nerve.

The inferior calcaneal nerve is the first branch of the lateral plantar nerve which courses in a medial to lateral direction between the abductor hallucis muscle and the medial calcaneal tuberosity.

There are three sites of possible entrapment:

1. Deep to or adjacent to the fascial edge of a hypertrophied abductor hallucis muscle.
2. Along the medial edge of the quadratus plantae muscle.
3. Adjacent to the medial calcaneal tuberosity.

Predisposing factors include

: 

• muscle hypertrophy
• obesity
• hyperpronated foot
• flat foot
• calcaneal enthesophyte - : plantar calcaneal spur
• plantar fasciitis
• seronegative spondyloarthropathies

Clinical presentation

• heel pain with maximal tenderness over the course of the inferior calcaneal nerve ( on(on the plantar medial aspect of the foot and anterior to the medial aspect of the calcaneus.)
• paraesthesia with motor weakness of the abductor digiti minimi muscle.
• no associated cutaneous sensory deficit.

Radiographic features

MRI

Acute phase of muscle denervation

Affected region shows decreased signal intensity on T1WI and increased signal intensity on T2WI with fat-saturation due to increased extracellular water content and decreased muscle fiber volumes of the involved muscles innervated by the inferior calcaneal nerve.

Chronic phase of muscle denervation

Signs of amyotrophy or fatty degeneration of the abductor digiti minimi muscle and less commonly of the flexor digitorum brevis and the quadratus plantae muscles.

Treatment and prognosis

The treatment is conservative therapy.  More content required on prognosis.

See also

• denervation changes in muscles