A Prospective Study Comparing Steroid Injection and Needle Fenestration for the Treatment of Chronic Plantar Fasciitis / 대한족부족관절학회지

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#This study sought to compare needle fenestration with a corticosteroid injection for the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis. We hypothesized that needle fenestration would be as effective as a corticosteroid injection while avoiding the potential adverse effects of the corticosteroid. @*Materials and Methods@#Forty female patients with unilateral chronic plantar fasciitis who did not respond to a minimum of 6 months of various conservative treatments were prospectively randomized to receive either a corticosteroid injection or needle fenestration. Visual analogue scale and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score were used for all patients before treatment and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month following treatment. @*Results@#The corticosteroid injection group had a before-treatment average AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot score of 56.4, which increased to 87.3 at 3 months and 78.2 at 6 months after treatment but decreased to 62.4 at 12 months. The needle fenestration group had a before treatment average AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score of 49.5, which increased to 77.8 at 3 months and 92.1 at 6 months after treatment and remained at a high score of 89.4 at 12 months. There were no complications in either group. @*Conclusion@#In the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis, needle fenestration is as effective at 3- and 6-month post-treatment as a corticosteroid injection. Also, unlike a corticosteroid, its effect remains until 12 months post-treatment.