The effect of lengthening the gastrocnemius muscle in chronic therapy resistant plantar fasciitis

Hoefnagels, Eva M; Weerheijm, Lucas; Witteveen, Angélique G.H.; Louwerens, Jan-Willem K; Keijsers, Noël L.W.

doi:10.1016/j.fas.2020.07.003

Cited by 15 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A postoperative boot is described in one study (Chimera et al 4 ). Hoefnagels et al 12 describes use of a plaster cast for 2 weeks, followed by 4 weeks night splint, whereas Monteagudo et al 22 and Gamba et al 9 use a rigid open shoe for the first 2 postoperative weeks. No casts, boots, or rigid shoes are used postoperatively by Molund et al 19 Unfortunately, it was again not possible to effectively evaluate the impact of different postoperative regimes on outcomes because of the large heterogeneity in outcome measures used across these different studies.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Range of motion outcomes were reported by a total of 3 studies: Hoefnagels et al, 12 Molund et al, 19 and Chimera et al 4 reported significant postoperative increases in ankle dorsiflexion with the knee in full extension.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hoefnagels et al 12 reported that all patients were able to perform 20 bilateral and 5 unilateral heel raises 1 year postoperatively. Calf power was assessed using 10 consecutive single heel rises in the study of Gamba et al, 9 with no patient in either the gastrocnemius recession or plantar fasciotomy group demonstrating reduced power at final follow-up.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 2 , 14 , 25 , 28 , 29 , 34 It is postulated that contracture of the gastrocnemius increases Achilles tendon tension and limits ankle dorsiflexion. 12 , 21 , 25 , 28 , 29 This may interfere with the windlass mechanism and lead to increased strain on the plantar fascia and calcaneal tuberosity. 12 , 21 , 31 The recent study by Pearce et al 30 provides further evidence in favor of this theory by demonstrating a strong significant correlation between gastrocnemius tightness and heel pain severity in plantar fasciitis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 1 , 4 , 19 However, despite an increase in popularity, there appears to be a lack of widespread consensus regarding the use of gastrocnemius recession in chronic plantar fasciitis, with a number of alternative treatment options available. 3 , 6 , 9 , 12 Furthermore, there is currently no other systematic review specifically investigating the use of gastrocnemius recession in recalcitrant plantar fasciitis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Gastrocnemius Release in the Management of Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: A Systematic Review

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: This systematic review aims to summarize the outcomes of gastrocnemius recession in the treatment of plantar fasciitis. Methods: A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines using the PubMed, Embase, Emcare, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL databases. A 2-stage title/abstract and full text screening process was performed independently by 2 reviewers. Randomized controlled trials, cohort, and case-control studies reporting the results of gastrocnemius recession in patients with plantar fasciitis were included. The MINORS and Joanna Briggs Institute Criteria were used to assess study quality and risk of bias. Results: A total of 285 articles were identified, with 6 of these studies comprising 118 patients being ultimately included. Significant postoperative improvement in American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society, visual analog scale, 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Foot Forum Index, and Foot and Ankle Ability Measure scores were reported. Included studies also described an increase in ankle dorsiflexion range of motion and plantarflexion power. An overall pooled complication rate of 8.5% was seen, with persistent postoperative pain accounting for the most common reported complication. Gastrocnemius recession is associated with greater postoperative improvement than plantar fasciotomy and conservative stretching exercises. Conclusion: The current evidence demonstrates that gastrocnemius recession is effective in the management of plantar fasciitis, specifically in patients with gastrocnemius contracture who do not respond to conservative treatment. Level of Evidence: Level III, Systematic review of level I-III studies.

show abstract