Search Results
Plantar Fasciitis
A Degenerative Process (Fasciosis) Without Inflammation
The authors review histologic findings from 50 cases of heel spur surgery for chronic plantar fasciitis. Findings include myxoid degeneration with fragmentation and degeneration of the plantar fascia and bone marrow vascular ectasia. Histologic findings are presented to support the thesis that “plantar fasciitis” is a degenerative fasciosis without inflammation, not a fasciitis. These findings suggest that treatment regimens such as serial corticosteroid injections into the plantar fascia should be reevaluated in the absence of inflammation and in light of their potential to induce plantar fascial rupture. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 93(3): 234-237, 2003)
Mechanical Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis
A Prospective Study
A randomized, prospective study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of three individual mechanical modalities in the treatment of plantar fasciitis. Two hundred fifty-five subjects were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: custom-made orthoses, over-the-counter arch supports, or tension night splints. Subjects were treated for 3 months, with follow-up visits at 2, 6, and 12 weeks. No statistically significant difference was noted among treatment groups with respect to final outcomes based on first-step pain or pain felt during the day. However, there was a statistically significant difference among the three groups with respect to early patient withdrawal from the study due to continued severe pain, noncompliance, or inability to tolerate the device. Patient compliance was greatest with the use of custom-made orthoses. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 91(2): 55-62, 2001)
Background
The windlass mechanism, first described by John Hicks in 1954, defines the anatomical and biomechanical relationship between the hallux and the plantar fascia. Hallux valgus (HV) and plantar fasciitis are the most common foot disorders, and, to date, no study has evaluated the relationship between these disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of and factors associated with plantar fasciitis in patients with HV deformity.
Methods
In this prospective observational study, 486 patients with HV were divided into three groups according to stage of HV deformity. Patient sex, age, and body mass index were recorded. Presence of accompanying plantar fasciitis and heel spur was investigated by physical and radiographic examination. First metatarsophalangeal joint dorsiflexion of the affected side was measured. Patients with or without plantar fasciitis were also compared to evaluate factors associated with plantar fasciitis.
Results
Mean age and body mass index of the patients were significantly different among the three HV groups. The incidence of plantar fasciitis and heel spur significantly increased in correlation with the severity of HV deformity. Increased age and HV stage and decreased first metatarsophalangeal joint dorsiflexion were significantly associated with presence of plantar fasciitis in HV.
Conclusions
In this study, the incidence of plantar fasciitis was significantly increased in correlation with the severity of HV deformity. Significant association was found between plantar fasciitis and HV, which are anatomically and biomechanically related to each other by the windlass mechanism.
Background
We sought to determine whether patients with plantar fasciitis have limited dorsiflexion in the first metatarsophalangeal joint and which type of foot, pronated or supinated, is most frequently associated with plantar fasciitis.
Methods
The 100 study participants (34 men and 66 women) were divided into two groups: patients with plantar fasciitis and controls. The Foot Posture Index and dorsiflexion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint were compared between the two groups, and a correlation analysis was conducted to study their relationship.
Results
In the plantar fasciitis group there was a slight limitation of dorsiflexion of the hallux that was not present in the control group (P < .001). Hallux dorsiflexion and the Foot Posture Index were inversely correlated (Spearman correlation coefficient, −0.441; P < .01).
Conclusions
Participants with plantar fasciitis presented less hallux dorsiflexion than those in the control group, and their most common foot type was the pronated foot.
Abstract
Background: The effectiveness of different energy levels used in extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) have been investigated in previous studies, but controversy remains regarding which energy levels should be used in the treatment of plantar fasciitis. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of different energy levels used in ESWT in the treatment of plantar fasciitis through comparisons of plantar fascia thickness and pressure distribution.
Methods: Between July 2020 and September 2020, a total of 51 patients (71 feet) with plantar fasciitis were randomized into three treatment groups using the sealed envelope method. Group 1 (n = 25) received low energy density (0.09 mJ/mm2 ), Group 2 (n = 25) received medium energy density (0.18 mJ/mm2), and Group 3 (n = 21) received high energy density (0.38 mJ/mm2). All groups received three sessions of ESWT with a frequency of 2,000 shocks/min at one week intervals. The patients were evaluated before and after treatment using a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, the Foot Function Index (FFI), and plantar fascia thickness measured by ultrasonography, and plantar pressure distribution.
Results: The posttreatment VAS and FFI scores were determined to be statistically significantly lower than the pretreatment values in all three groups (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of the pre and post treatment values of VAS, FFI scores, plantar fascia thickness and pressure distribution (p>0.05). No statistically significant difference was found between the groups in terms of percentage changes in all the outcome parameters (p>0.05).
Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that neither low, medium, or high levels of ESWT were superior to one another in terms of pain, foot functions, fascia thickness and pressure distribution in the treatment of plantar fasciitis.
Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis Using Four Different Local Injection Modalities
A Randomized Prospective Clinical Trial
Background: To determine the effectiveness of four different local injection modalities in the treatment of plantar fasciitis.
Methods: In a prospective randomized multicenter study of plantar fasciitis, 100 patients were divided into four equal groups and were treated using four different methods of local injection: group A was treated with 2 mL of autologous blood alone; group B, an anesthetic (2 mL of lidocaine) combined with peppering; group C, a corticosteroid (2 mL of triamcinolone) alone; and group D, a corticosteroid (2 mL of triamcinolone) combined with peppering. The outcome was defined by using a 10-cm visual analog scale and modified criteria of the Roles and Maudsley score 3 weeks and 6 months after the injection and compared with the pretreatment condition.
Results: The successful results in all of the groups after injections were higher than those in the pretreatment condition (P = .000). In groups C and D, in which local corticosteroid injections were used, excellent results were obtained, with superior effect in the group in which peppering was used (P < .05).
Conclusions: In the treatment of plantar fasciitis, combined corticosteroid injections and peppering is effective and produces better clinical results. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 99(2): 108–113, 2009)
Fibrosarcoma is an uncommon, malignant soft-tissue tumor that is rarely found as a primary neoplasm in the foot. A case report is presented that demonstrates a large, locally invasive fibrosarcoma of the plantar aspect of the foot with initial symptoms consistent with plantar fasciitis. Below-the-knee amputation was performed as curative treatment. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 92(9): 507-511, 2002)
Background: Anisomelia, or limb-length discrepancy, has disruptive effects on gait, posture, and ambulation. Limb-length discrepancy has been shown to be a factor in stress fractures in the femur and tibia, and the longer limb, a contributing factor in the development of low-back pain, a cause of scoliosis. We sought to determine whether limb-length discrepancy contributes to the frequency and severity of plantar fasciitis.
Methods: We enrolled 26 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Direct and indirect methods were used to measure limb-length discrepancy. We took measurements from the anterior superior iliac spine to the medial malleolus and from the umbilicus to the medial malleolus and performed the block test. Body mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) was also recorded for all of the patients.
Results: There is enough evidence to support the fact that the pain location and the longer limb are associated (Fisher test P < .0001). There was not enough evidence in this study to illustrate that body mass index was related to pain location (Fisher test P = .7411).
Conclusions: There has been little research on etiology and treatment correlation. These results indicate a strong correlation between a longer limb and unilateral plantar fasciitis pain. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 100(6): 452–455, 2010)
Low-Dye taping is often used as a short-term treatment for plantar fasciitis. We evaluated the short-term effectiveness of low-Dye taping in relieving pain associated with plantar fasciitis. In this comparative study conducted at a university-based clinic, 65 participants with plantar fasciitis who received low-Dye taping for 3 to 5 days were compared with 40 participants who did not receive taping. Pain before and after treatment was measured using a visual analog pain scale. Analysis of the data was by the intention-to-treat principle, and a linear regression approach to analysis of covariance was used to compare effects. The visual analog pain scale score improved by a mean of 20 mm (from 44 to 24 mm) in the taping group and worsened by a mean of 6 mm (from 51 to 57 mm) in the control group. The analysis of covariance–adjusted difference in therapeutic effect favored the taping group by 31.7 mm (95% confidence interval, 23.6–39.9 mm) and was statistically significant (t = 7.71). In the short term, low-Dye taping significantly reduces the pain associated with plantar fasciitis. These findings are the first quantitative results to demonstrate the significant therapeutic effect of this treatment modality in relieving the symptoms associated with plantar fasciitis. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 95(6): 525–530, 2005)
Background: Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain. Conservative treatment is often effective, but in many cases, invasive procedures may be required. Local corticosteroid injection is the most frequently used invasive technique and can be given under ultrasound (USG) or palpation guidance. We sought to compare the outcome of local corticosteroid injection by USG and palpation guidance in plantar fasciitis.
Methods: This was a prospective randomized study of patients who presented with heel pain between July 2015 and November 2016 and were screened for plantar fasciitis by USG. Patients with confirmed plantar fasciitis were managed conservatively for 4 weeks. The 60 consecutive patients not responding to the conservative treatment were randomized into two groups. Group A (n = 30) received a corticosteroid injection under USG guidance. Group B (n = 30) received a corticosteroid injection under palpation guidance. Patients were followed up at 3 and 6 weeks. We compared the visual analog scale score, plantar fascia thickness, and heel pad thickness in both groups.
Results: There was significant pain relief in both groups after 3 and 6 weeks of local corticosteroid injection, with greater relief noted in the USG-guided group. There was a significant decrement in plantar fascia thickness in both groups after 3 and 6 weeks; however, a greater decrement was observed in the USG-guided group. Neither group showed a significant difference in heel pad thickness after 3 and 6 weeks.
Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided injection provided better pain relief and a greater reduction in plantar fascia thickness than palpation-guided injection.
