Radiological and sonographic assessment of plantar faschtis

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the radiological and ultrasonographic findings in patients with symptomatic heel pain and plantarfasciitis and to compare these findings with that of age and sex matched normal controls. Thirty patients were selected from those attending the Outpatient Clinic of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Al Farwanya Hospital, Kuwait Both feet of the patients [60 feet] were evaluated radiologically [X-ray] and musculoskeletal ultrasonography [MUS] by using a 10.0-MHz linear-array transducer. Sagittal sonograms were obtained and the thickness of the plantar fascia was measured at its proximal end near its insertion into the calcaneus. Both feet of 10 age and sex matched healthy volunteers were also evaluated as a control group. As regard X ray finding the study showed that, there was a statistically significant difference between patients and control group [where P value fascia thickness was significantly increased in the heels of patients with plantar fasciitis [3.0-6.2 mm with a mean of 4.42 mm +/- 0.93] compared with the heels of the subjects in the control group [1.5-3.5 mm with a mean of mean 248 mm +/- 0.72] [p < 0.001]. The study showed that, the hypoechogenicity of the plantar fascia for patients group was found in 27 feet in the right side and in 23 feet in the left side 50 out of 60 feet [83.33%]. Increased thickness of the fascia and hypoechogenic fascia are sonographic findings of plantar fasciitis US may be a valuable noninvasive technique for the diagnosis of olantar fasciitis