Plantar Fasciitis: An Updated Review

Area of Science:

• Musculoskeletal diseases
• Diagnostic imaging
• Regenerative medicine

Background:

• Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a prevalent musculoskeletal ailment characterized by chronic degenerative processes.
• Mechanical stress, reduced ankle mobility, rheumatologic conditions, and genetics contribute to PF development.
• Traditional histological findings often indicate degeneration over inflammation in PF cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of ultrasound in diagnosing and managing plantar fasciitis.
• To explore the utility of advanced ultrasound techniques like sonoelastography.
• To summarize current treatment modalities and their efficacy for PF.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on plantar fasciitis diagnosis and treatment.
• Analysis of sonographic findings in PF, including fascia thickness and echogenicity.
• Evaluation of traditional B-mode ultrasound and sonoelastography applications.
• Assessment of various therapeutic interventions, including conservative and surgical options.

Main Results:

• Key ultrasound findings for PF include increased plantar fascia thickness and hypoechoic appearance.
• Sonoelastography offers additional diagnostic value beyond traditional B-mode ultrasound.
• Nonsurgical treatments achieve improvement in over 80% of PF patients.
• Platelet-rich plasma and dextrose prolotherapy are emerging injection alternatives to corticosteroids.
• Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) shows growing evidence for efficacy in PF treatment.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasound is crucial for diagnosing PF and evaluating treatment effectiveness.
• Sonoelastography may enhance early detection and treatment assessment for PF.
• A variety of effective nonsurgical and surgical options exist for managing plantar fasciitis.
• Emerging regenerative injection techniques and ESWT represent advancements in PF therapy.