Effect of Additional Sural Nerve PRF in Chronic Heel Pain

Does Targeting the Sural Nerve in Addition to the Posterior Tibial Nerve Increase the Effectiveness of Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment in Chronic Plantar Heel Pain?

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT07383558

Enrollment

Registered

2026-02-03

Start date

2025-06-01

Completion date

2026-09-01

Last updated

2026-08-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Chronic Plantar Heel Pain, Plantar Fasciitis, Spur, Heel

Keywords

posterior tibial nerve, sural nerve, heel pain, plantar pain

Brief summary

This observational study aims to compare the effectiveness of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) treatment applied to the posterior tibial nerve alone versus PRF applied to both the posterior tibial and sural nerves in patients with chronic plantar heel pain. Outcomes will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot score at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment.

Detailed description

This prospective observational cohort study evaluates whether the addition of sural nerve pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) to posterior tibial nerve PRF is associated with greater clinical improvement in patients with chronic plantar heel pain. In routine clinical practice, ultrasound-guided PRF is applied to the posterior tibial nerve, and in selected patients, additional PRF of the sural nerve is performed based on clinical judgment. Patients are prospectively followed in two groups according to the treatment received: posterior tibial nerve PRF alone and posterior tibial nerve PRF combined with sural nerve PRF. Clinical outcomes are assessed at baseline and at 1 and 3 months after the procedure. Pain intensity is evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and functional outcome is assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot score. Changes in these outcomes are compared between the two groups during the follow-up period.

Interventions

PROCEDUREPulsed radiofrequency

Ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency applied to the posterior tibial nerve, with or without additional application to the sural nerve.

Study design

Observational model

COHORT

Time perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 65 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Age between 18 and 65 years Presence of chronic plantar heel pain Baseline VAS score \>5

Exclusion criteria

History of foot fracture or tumor Pregnancy Coagulopathy or use of antiplatelet therapy Cognitive impairment preventing informed consent

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
VAS	Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months post-procedure	Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is a simple tool used in clinical trials to measure pain intensity. Patients rate their pain on a scale, typically from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). It provides a quick, quantitative assessment of subjective pain and is commonly used to evaluate treatment effectiveness before and after intervention.Change in pain intensity assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
AOFAS	Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months post-procedure	American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score is a clinical outcome measure used to assess foot and ankle conditions. It combines pain (40 points), function (50 points), and alignment (10 points) into a total score out of 100. Higher scores indicate better clinical status. It is frequently used in clinical trials to evaluate surgical or conservative treatment outcomes.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Aug 18, 2026