Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

PLoS One 2022 18;17(5):e0268512. Epub 2022 May 18.

Department of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom.

Aims: To systematically review randomised control trials (RCT's) assessing the effectiveness and safety of surgical interventions in adults with plantar fasciopathy (PF).

Materials And Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, trial registries and references lists. RCT's comparing surgical interventions with non-surgical or surgical comparisons in adults with PF were included. Read More

Rev Esp Anestesiol Reanim (Engl Ed) 2022 May 13. Epub 2022 May 13.

Dolor y Cuidado Paliativo, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá DC, Colombia; Departamento de Anestesiología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá DC, Colombia.

Plantar fasciitis is recognized as the leading cause of talalgia worldwide. In the vast majority of cases it can be controlled with the use of appropriate footwear, stretching exercises and changes in the sport activity, while a few cases require infiltrations or surgical interventions. The latter puts the patient at greater risk, and is reserved for the most severe cases. Read More

BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2022 May 3;23(1):416. Epub 2022 May 3.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, Postboks 4956, Nydalen, 0242, Oslo, Norway.

Background: Foot disorders affect up to one quarter of the adult population. Plantar fasciopathy is a common cause of foot pain associated with decreased activity level and quality of life. Patient-reported outcome measures are important in assessing the burden of a condition as well as in research on the effects of interventions. Read More

Foot Ankle Orthop 2022 Apr 23;7(2):24730114221091797. Epub 2022 Apr 23.

American Sports Medicine Institute, Birmingham, AL, USA.

Background: A plantar fasciotomy using a microdebrider coblation wand may be an effective treatment for treating chronic plantar fasciitis. The objective of this prospective study was to determine the success rate of performing a plantar fasciotomy using a microdebrider coblation wand to treat plantar fasciitis and determine utility of ultrasonographic imaging to evaluate for recovery after treatment.

Methods: Patients with plantar fasciitis treated with a plantar fasciotomy using a microdebrider coblation wand were prospectively followed for 1 year. Read More

Cureus 2022 Apr 7;14(4):x43. Epub 2022 Apr 7.

College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, SAU.

J Clin Med 2022 Apr 12;11(8). Epub 2022 Apr 12.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 1, Ren-Ai Road, Taipei City 10051, Taiwan.

The plastic heel cup has been adopted to treat plantar heel problems for years. However, its mechanisms and biomechanical effects are yet to be fully understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the plastic heel cup on the microchamber and macrochamber layers of the heel pad by comparing the stiffness (in terms of the shear wave speed) and thickness of these two layers with and without a plastic heel cup during static standing. Read More

Diagnostics (Basel) 2022 Apr 4;12(4). Epub 2022 Apr 4.

Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, 28670 Madrid, Spain.

The present study aimed to compare by ultrasound imaging (USI) the tibial posterior (TP), medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus muscle in patients with and without plantar fasciitis (PF). A sample of 42 individuals was recruited and divided into two groups: PF and a healthy group. The thickness, cross-sectional area (CSA), echointensity and echovariation were assessed in both groups by USI. Read More

Clin Anat 2022 Apr 13. Epub 2022 Apr 13.

Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

The deep fascia is a three-dimensional continuum of connective tissue surrounding the bones, muscles, nerves and blood vessels throughout our body. Its importance in chronically debilitating conditions has recently been brought to light. This work investigates changes in these tissues in pathological settings. Read More

J Foot Ankle Surg 2022 Feb 20. Epub 2022 Feb 20.

Department of Nursing and Podiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences. University of Malaga, Spain; Biomedical Research Institute (IBIMA), Malaga, Spain.

Plantar fascia (PF) is a connective tissue made up of mostly type 1 collagen that is subjected to constant loads. This study evaluated the effect of continuous running on tissue stress in the PF by measuring changes in the thickness of the PF using ultrasound scans. It was a cross-sectional study involving 24 runners from the University of Valencia, recruited as volunteers between December 2018 and February 2019. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2022 Mar;101(12):e29142

Sakarya University Research and Training Hospital, Adapazari, Sakarya, Turkey.

Abstract: Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. Pain can be persistent in some patients and interrupt daily activities and sportive activities. There are a lot of treatment options available for plantar fasciitis. Read More

Cureus 2022 Feb 23;14(2):e22532. Epub 2022 Feb 23.

Orthopedics and Trauma, Shifa International Hospital Islamabad, Islamabad, PAK.

Introduction: Plantar fasciitis is a painful ailment that causes frustration to both the patient and physician. Stretching exercises targeting the plantar fascia are an excellent therapy option for plantar fasciitis.

Objective: To compare the outcome of a gastrocnemius-soleus stretching program versus tendo Achilles stretching exercises for the management of chronic plantar fasciitis. Read More

PM R 2022 Mar 25. Epub 2022 Mar 25.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Objective: To systematically investigate the efficacy and safety of dextrose prolotherapy for treating chronic plantar fasciitis.

Literature Survey: EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar (from inception to December the 9th, 2021) METHODOLOGY: Comprehensive review of randomized controlled trials investigating dextrose prolotherapy for chronic plantar fasciitis was done. Two investigators independently screened the titles, abstracts, and full texts and extracted data from eligible studies. Read More

J Foot Ankle Surg 2022 Feb 28. Epub 2022 Feb 28.

University of Limerick School of Medicine, Faculty of Education & Health Services, Castletroy, Co. Limerick, Ireland. Electronic address:

Plantar fasciitis is a common musculoskeletal complaint seen in clinical practice. The objective of this study was to perform a bibliometric analysis of the top 100 articles published on the topic of plantar fasciitis. The Web of Science platform was used to search for articles on plantar fasciitis published between 1975 and 2021. Read More

Healthcare (Basel) 2022 Mar 14;10(3). Epub 2022 Mar 14.

Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, 28001 Madrid, Spain.

Objective: The primary aim of the present study was to compare the echo intensity (EI) and echovariation (EV) of the intrinsic foot muscles (IFMs) between individuals with and without plantar fasciitis (PF), using ultrasound imaging. The secondary objective was to study the intra-rater reliability of the echotexture variables.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted with 64 participants, who were divided into the following two groups: A, the PF group ( = 32); B, the healthy group ( = 32). Read More

J Pak Med Assoc 2022 Feb;72(2):231-235

American University of Barbados, Barbados.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with locally injectable steroids in the treatment of plantar fasciitis.

Methods: This comparative study was conducted from 10 May 2013 to 10 December 2013 at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Punjab Medical College/Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan, and comprised patients of either gender aged 26-60 years having unilateral plantar fasciitis who were not on any prior treatment and had moderate to severe pain intensity. The patients who received diclofenac sodium 50mg and acetaminophen 500mg twice a day for 4 weeks were assigned as Group-A, and those who received a single of 40mg (1ml) of methylprednisolone combined with 2ml of 0. Read More

Prosthet Orthot Int 2022 Mar 22. Epub 2022 Mar 22.

SoleScience Inc., Fowler Kennedy Sports Medicine Clinic, Western University, London, ON, Canada.

Background: Foot orthoses have consistently demonstrated an improvement in pain scores for plantar fasciitis. The fabrication of custom-made foot orthoses (CFOs) can vary between clinicians and may include the use of different materials and casting techniques. This cross-sectional study's objective was to quantify plantar pressure for two CFOs, one with a heel plug (HP) and one without. Read More

Praxis (Bern 1994) 2022 ;110(4):224-231

Universitäres Zentrum für Hausarztmedizin beider Basel, Universität Basel, Basel.

CME: Plantar fasciitis Plantar fasciitis is a common pathology in general practice. There are diverse treatment options described in the literature, but no simple treatment algorithm for general practice has been published yet. In this article, we present an evidence-based and simple treatment algorithm for use in busy general practices. Read More

Arch Bone Jt Surg 2022 Jan;10(1):112-116

The Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Unit, Netcare Linksfield Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) is a relatively uncommon nerve entrapment neuropathy. Many pathologies are reported as possible causes for TTS. The diagnosis of TTS can be difficult and often missed. Read More

Foot (Edinb) 2022 May 7;51:101906. Epub 2022 Jan 7.

Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Lokman Hekim University, Ankara, Turkey.

Background: This prospective pilot study assessed the feasibility of comparing intensive physiotherapy group (IPG), home-based exercise (HBEG) group, and insole group (IG) to find the most effective treatment program for plantar fasciitis.

Methods: Thirty-nine individuals with plantar fasciitis were selected to participate in this pilot study. The patients were randomly divided into 3 groups, as IPG (manual interventions, exercise, insoles), HBEG (exercise, insoles), and IG (insoles). Read More

Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi 2022 Mar;102(9):675-678

Department of Radiology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing 100035, China.

Eighty-four amateur half marathon athletes (168 side feet) in Beijing from October 2018 to May 2021 were recruited, and their age, gender and whether they have foot pain were collected, including 44 males and 40 females, aged from 21 to 60 (40.7±9.3) years. Read More

Iran J Public Health 2021 Oct;50(10):2139-2140

Department of Physical Education, Busan National University of Education, Busan, South Korea.

Foot (Edinb) 2022 Mar 25;50:101869. Epub 2021 Sep 25.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Changi General Hospital, 2 Simei St 3, 529889, Singapore.

Background: Currently, there is limited evidence on outcomes for plantar fascia radiofrequency microtenotomy. An evidence-based systematic review and meta-analysis for outcomes of radiofrequency microtenotomy for the treatment of plantar fasciitis was conducted.

Methods: A comprehensive evidence-based literature review of PubMed and Cochrane Databases was conducted in March 2019, which identified 11 relevant articles assessing the efficacy of plantar fascia radiofrequency microtenotomy. Read More

Altern Ther Health Med 2022 Feb 18. Epub 2022 Feb 18.

Background: Chronic plantar fasciitis has been historically treated with conventional physical therapy. The use of the Garston Technique® (GT) is a new intervention for the management of chronic plantar fascitis, but there is lack of evidence in the literature regarding its efficacy.

Study Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the GT on pain, foot function and general foot health in patients with plantar fasciitis. Read More

IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2022 Feb 16;PP. Epub 2022 Feb 16.

Objective: This paper presents the development and clinical evaluation of a foot stretching robot that simultaneously stretches the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon for the treatment of plantar fasciitis. The therapeutic effectiveness of the robot and feasibility of using metatarsophalangeal joint stiffness as an indicator of recovery were identified through the clinical evaluations.

Methods: The robot implements an effective foot stretching protocol through a novel mechanism design that simultaneously stretches the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon using a single motor. Read More

Cureus 2022 Jan 11;14(1):e21136. Epub 2022 Jan 11.

College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, SAU.

Foot pain is a prevalent musculoskeletal complaint with plantar fasciitis being one of the most common underlying etiologies. Diagnostic imaging studies are rarely performed for patients with plantar fasciitis. We report the case of a 34-year-old woman with a six-month history of left heel pain that was worsened by prolonged standing and walking. Read More

J Pak Med Assoc 2021 Dec;71(12):2705-2709

Department of Physical Therapy, Riphah College of Rehabilitation & Allied Health Sciences, Riphah International University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of subtalar mobilisation technique on pain and functional disability compared to conventional physiotherapy in patients with plantar fasciitis.

Methods: The randomised controlled trial was conducted at the Prime Care Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan, from January to August 2017, and comprised patients of either gender aged 30-60 years presenting with complaints of heel and foot pain, a limited range of motion at the ankle joint due to heel pain, and pain in the morning when taking the first steps or after prolonged rest. The participants were randomly assigned to intervention group A, that received subtalar mobilisation, and control group B treated with therapeutic ultrasound. Read More

Cureus 2022 Jan 2;14(1):e20871. Epub 2022 Jan 2.

Medicine, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, SAU.

The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) versus ultrasound therapy (UST) in plantar fasciitis. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed. An electronic search identifying studies comparing ESWT and UST for plantar fasciitis was conducted. Read More

Turk J Phys Med Rehabil 2021 Dec 1;67(4):473-481. Epub 2021 Dec 1.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of peloidotherapy on pain, functional status, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with unilateral plantar fasciitis (PF).

Patients And Methods: This prospective, observational pilot study included a total of 80 patients (13 males, 67 females; mean age: 47.7±9. Read More

Rheumatol Int 2022 Apr 5;42(4):581-589. Epub 2022 Feb 5.

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.

The efficacy and safety of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on chronic plantar fasciitis (PF) in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) remain unclear. To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of ESWT in patients with PF in axSpA. In this double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 22 axSpA patients with PF who had heel pain above 5 according to visual analog scale (VAS) over 3 months were randomly divided into 2 groups: ESWT and sham-ESWT. Read More

J Sport Rehabil 2022 05 4;31(4):490-494. Epub 2022 Feb 4.

Context: Plantar heel pain is a common problem affecting foot function, causing pain in the foot under the heel. Plantar fasciitis is commonly treated with conservative treatment, such as joint and soft tissue mobilization, self-stretching home programs, foot orthoses, and night splinting or booting. Dry needling (DN) has shown to be an effective method of treating plantar fasciitis (PF) in multiple randomized control trials. Read More