Heel pad thickness--a contributing factor associated with plantar heel pain in young adults

Thirty-three runners were clinically diagnosed with plantar heel pain (PHP) and 107 runners were designated into a non-PHP group (NPHP). Cases were matched with a further control group of 64 subjects with regard to body mass index and age. A weight-bearing platform measured heel pad thickness by real-time ultrasound scanning. The results demonstrated a significant difference between the PHP and both the NPHP and control groups (P <0.05). The results also demonstrated that body mass index had a significant effect (P <0.05) on the heel pad thickness of all subjects, regardless of the heel pad group. The results from the current study, with some precaution, conclude that body mass index as such is not related to PHP in the athletic population. In the current study the observed differences of body mass index on heel pad thickness between the PHP and NPHP groups, and the similarity between the control group and NPHP subjects suggests other risk factors may play an important role in heel pad thickening and associated development of PHP.