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Endoscopic plantar fascia release.
1Toronto Hospital, and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Summary
A safe plantar fascia division procedure effectively relieved heel pain and morning stiffness in most patients. This surgical option offers good results for carefully selected patients with intractable heel pain, allowing a return to sports.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Podiatric Medicine
- Anatomy
Background:
- Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain.
- Conservative treatments often fail for chronic cases.
- Surgical intervention may be necessary for intractable symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a safe surgical technique for plantar fascia division.
- To evaluate the clinical outcomes of this procedure for heel pain relief.
Main Methods:
- Anatomic exploration to identify reliable landmarks for safe plantar fascia division.
- Clinical study involving 53 patients (65 feet) undergoing the procedure.
- Follow-up assessment of pain, stiffness, sports activity, and complications.
Main Results:
- Effective relief of heel pain (89%) and morning stiffness (92%).
- 71% of patients returned to unrestricted sports activity.
- Low complication rate (2 cases of lateral heel pain).
Conclusions:
- Plantar fascia division using specific landmarks is a safe and effective treatment for intractable heel pain.
- Proper patient selection and adherence to conservative treatment are crucial for success.
- The procedure offers good outcomes with minimal short-term morbidity.