Stage I Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction: Ten Years Follow-up after Endoscopic Treatment

Teasdall and Jhonson 15 suggested the surgical treatment in stage I PTTD to arrest progression to stage II and III, reporting their results in 19 patients after 30 months of follow-up from surgical synovectomy and debridement for this condition, opening the sheath from the PTT musculotendinous junction to its insertion. Fourteen patients (74%) had complete relief of pain and three patients reported only minor pain with strenuous activity, and no patients stated that they were worse after surgery. A total of 16 of 19 patients had a return of function of the PTT postoperatively, as evidenced by their ability to perform a single limb-heel-rise test. They concluded that the reason why these patients gained relief and return of function of the PTT from surgical exploration is uncertain, suggesting that probably interrupted the inflammatory reaction and allowed the tendon degeneration to abate. In their series it was noted after surgery that the wounds were slow to heal, two patients developed a superficial infection and in one patient, the wound dehisced.