Background: Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of foot pain. If conservative treatment fails, there is no consensus as to the best surgical management for recalcitrant plantar fasciitis (RPF). The aim of this study was to compare the results obtained from proximal medial gastrocnemius release (PMGR) with those obtained from open plantar fasciotomy (OPF) in terms of pain, satisfaction, health-related quality of life, and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) score. Methods: This is a prospective randomized trial conducted between 2012 and 2016. Patients with RPF for at least 9 months were included. Diagnosis was clinically made. The exclusion criteria were neuropathic heel pain; a history of previous foot fracture, surgery, or deformity; rheumatoid arthritis; or the need for long-term analgesic administration. After ruling out other conditions with magnetic resonance or ultrasound imaging, patients were randomized to be operated on with OPF or PMGR independently of the Silfverskjold test. Follow-up was carried out for up to 1 year. The AOFAS, visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, SF-36, and Likert scale for satisfaction were used to evaluate the results obtained. The analysis was done with 21 patients in the OPF group and 15 in the PMGR group. The demographic data (age, sex, body mass index, duration of symptoms, and positivity to the Silfverskjold test) of the groups were comparable. Results: No differences were found in terms of the AOFAS ( P = .24), VAS ( P = .14), or any item of the SF-36. Satisfaction was very good in 85.8% of the PMGR group and 89.5% of the OPF group ( P = .27). Faster recovery was observed in the PMGR group. Conclusion: OPF and PMGR provided good results for patients with RPF. Neither was superior to the other relative to pain, AOFAS score, satisfaction, or the SF-36. We recommend PMGR as the first option in RPF surgical management in order to avoid potential biomechanical complications related to OPF. Level of Evidence: Level I, therapeutic randomized controlled trial.
Venous insufficiency is a frequent cause of consultation in primary care settings. Heterotopic ossification, consisting of an abnormal formation of true bone in extraskeletal soft tissues, is an underrecognized complication of chronic venous insufficiency that may cause torpid ulcers. We report a case of 78-year-old woman, with a long-standing history of venous insufficiency and tibial fracture, showing a non-healing ulcer associated with subcutaneous calcifications of the left lower extremity. Gold standard of imaging diagnosis are both plain radiographs and computed tomography but also magnetic resonance imaging could be useful for assessing the characteristics of the pathology. We describe a case of Heinz-Lippmann disease, diagnosed by using both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.
Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used as a diagnostic and prognostic instrument to evaluate the results of conservative treatment for plantar fasciitis. However, there are scarce data available relative to changes in the plantar fascia after operative treatment. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the imaging changes in patients with recalcitrant plantar fasciitis treated operatively by means of proximal medial gastrocnemius release. Methods: Thirteen patients with recalcitrant plantar fasciitis were studied with MRI preoperatively and 1 year after operative treatment. Quantitative (plantar fascia thickness) and qualitative variables (hyperintensity in the plantar fascia, insertional calcaneus bone edema, a plantar fascia tear, and the presence of perifascial collections) were assessed by 2 musculoskeletal radiologists. Clinical results were also measured with American Orthopaedic Ankle & Society (AOFAS), visual analog scale (VAS) pain, and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scales. Results: The mean plantar fascia thickness was 6.59 mm preoperatively and 6.37 mm postoperatively ( P = .972). No statistically significant differences were found in any of the qualitative variables on comparing the pre- and postoperative periods. Patients reported clinical improvements in pain VAS, AOFAS measurement, and the physical subdomains of the SF-36 scale. Conclusion: Quantitative and qualitative variables assessed for the plantar fascia on MRI did not show any significant change after medial gastrocnemius release despite clear clinical improvement. Level of Evidence: Level II, perspective cohort study.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.