Artificial Intelligence Technology Combined with Ultrasound-Guided Needle Knife Interventional Treatment of PF: Improvement of Pain, Fascia Thickness, and Ankle-Foot Function in Patients

Abstract

Objective. To explore the effect of artificial intelligence (AI) technology combined with ultrasound-guided needle knife intervention in the treatment of plantar fasciitis (PF) on pain, fascia thickness, and ankle and foot function. Methods. A total of 130 patients with PF treated in our hospital from January 2019 to April 2021 were enrolled. The patients were randomly assigned into the control group and the study group. The control group received ultrasound-guided needle knife interventional therapy, and the study group received AI technology combined with ultrasound-guided needle knife interventional therapy. The curative effect, VAS score, plantar fascia thickness, plantar fascia elasticity score, plantar fascia blood flow index, and AOFAS score were investigated. Results. The total effective rate of the study group was higher compared to that of the control ( P < 0.05 ). There exhibited no significant difference in VAS score before treatment, but the VAS score of the study group was lower compared to that of the control group at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment. There exhibited no significant difference in plantar fascia thickness before treatment ( P > 0.05 ), but after treatment, the plantar fascia thickness in the study group was lower compared to that in the control ( P < 0.05 ). The plantar fascia thickness in the study group was lower compared to that in the control at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment ( P < 0.05 ). In terms of the plantar fascia elasticity score, there exhibited no significant difference before treatment ( P > 0.05 ), but the plantar fascia elasticity score of the study group was lower compared to that of the control at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment ( P < 0.05 ). There exhibited no significant difference in plantar fascia blood flow index before treatment ( P > 0.05 ), but after treatment, the plantar fascia blood flow index in the study group was higher compared to that in the control ( P < 0.05 ). The plantar fascia blood flow index in the study group was higher compared to that in the control at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment ( P < 0.05 ). There exhibited no significant difference in the AOFAS score before treatment, but after treatment, the AOFAS score of the study group was higher compared to that of the control at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment. Conclusion. Patients with PF receive AI technology combined with ultrasound-guided needle knife interventional therapy, which can effectively relieve pain and improve fascia thickness and ankle-foot function. Thus, AI technology combined with ultrasound-guided needle knife interventional therapy has the advantages of convenient operation, safety, and effectiveness, which is worthy of clinical application.

Advancements in Artificial Intelligence for Foot and Ankle Surgery: A Systematic Review

“…Hernigou et al 18 applied AI and ML to assist in conducting their study for developing a method of defining the ideal and patient-specific motion axes of the tibiotalar joint, with the goal of improving how total ankle arthroplasty is performed with robotics. Zhu et al 57 aimed to assess whether ultrasonography-guided needle knife therapy with AI assistance can improve patient outcomes for plantar fasciitis better than the same therapy without AI. The AI technology used in this study assisted with processing of the ultrasonographic images.…”

“…Those receiving the intervention with AI had significantly lower plantar fascia thickness, lower plantar fascia elasticity scores, and higher American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scores at 2, 4, and 8 weeks posttreatment compared to those without AI assistance. 57 …”

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“…Zhu et al investigated whether AI-assisted ultrasonography-guided needle knife therapy improves the outcomes of patients treated for chronic plantar fasciitis. Patients who were allocated to the AI-assisted group evidenced statistically signif-icant higher American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS), lower plantar fascia elasticity scores and plantar fascia thickness at 2, 4, and 8 weeks of followup [32].…”

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