Short-term Benefits of Ultrasound-Guided Corticosteroid Injection in Plantar Fasciitis

Abstract

A single US-guided injection of dexamethasone reduced pain in plantar fasciitis at 4 weeks, without complications. Dexamethasone was effective in reducing plantar fascia swelling throughout the 12 weeks. Pain and swelling of the fascia subsided in both groups.

Ultrasound- versus Palpation-Guided Injection of Corticosteroid for Plantar Fasciitis: A Meta-Analysis

“…Corticosteroid injection is an effective method for the management of plantar fasciitis [13]. However, it is still controversial whether ultrasound-guided injection is superior to palpation-guided injection.…”

“…Several studies suggested that non-ultrasound-guided injection was cheaper and equally effective to ultrasound-guided injection [13]. The application of ultrasound for plantar fasciitis increased health care costs.…”

Tibial Nerve Block Using an Ultrasound‐Guided Inframalleolar Medial Plantar Nerve Perineural Injection: A Technical Note

“…[1][2][3] The procedure is frequently performed in patients with suspected tarsal tunnel syndrome, as either a diagnostic (anesthetic only) or therapeutic (anesthetic and steroid) procedure. Other potential indications for a local anesthetic tibial nerve block in the outpatient setting include regional anesthesia for procedures such as cryoablation of forefoot neuromas, 4 plantar fascia procedures, [5][6][7] and biopsy of soft tissue masses.…”

Ultrasound-guided intervention in the ankle and foot

“…[93][94][95][96][97] The effectiveness of corticosteroid injection therapy for plantar fasciitis remains a subject of debate, however. A Cochrane review about interventions for treating plantar heel pain has concluded that there was some evidence for the effectiveness of injected corticosteroid but only for short term and minor pain relief, and the quality of the trials found in the literature was poor.…”

“…94 Since the Cochrane review, however, there remain very few published randomized trials also concluding that steroid injection may be more effective than placebo up to 4 weeks following injection, but the difference does not persist at 8 and 12 weeks. [93][94][95][96][97][98] There remains a paucity of good, prospective, randomized controlled and blinded studies into the effectiveness of corticosteroid injections for plantar fasciitis. The shortcoming with many studies published so far includes the lack of a standardized technique for the injection of steroid.…”