Plantar fascia

AIM: To develop an integral index of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 117 patients with PsA (M/F - 63/54) were included. Patients' age 44±11 years, psoriasis (Ps) duration - 213±153 months, PsA duration - 73.4±78.5 months. Patients underwent standard clinical examination of PsA activity: tender (out of 68) and swollen (out of 66) joint counts (TJC, SJC), LEI, tenderness of the plantar fascia (PF), skin lesion severity (BSA), presence of nail Ps, body mass index (BMI), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), DAPSA, FACIT-F...

BACKGROUND: Plantar fascia tension is considered to cause plantar fasciitis, and medial longitudinal arch decrease is believed to be a risk factor for plantar fasciitis. Arch height index (AHI) and arch height flexibility (AHF) are useful indicators for evaluating medial longitudinal arch. However, the relationship between plantar fascia tension during running and these indicators remain unclear. RESEARCH QUESTION: Are the foot characteristics in AHI and AHF that represent medial longitudinal arch related to plantar fascia tension during running? METHODS: Twenty-two male participants enrolled in this study...

BACKGROUND: Within the exploration of human gait, key focal points include the examination of functional rockers and the influential role of tendon behavior in the intricate stretch-shortening cycle. To date, the possible relationship between these two fundamental factors in the analysis of human gait has not been studied. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between the morphology of the patellar and Achilles tendons and plantar fascia with respect to the duration of the rockers...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of plantar medial thin skin flaps preserving plantar fascia with its superficial fascia tissue to repair skin defects in hands and feet. METHODS: Between July 2017 and January 2023, 35 cases of hand and foot defects were repaired with plantar medial thin skin flaps preserving plantar fascia with its superficial fascia tissue (13 pedicled flaps and 22 free flaps). There were 18 males and 17 females, with an average age of 38...

The anterolateral thigh flap (ALT) is versatile for soft-tissue reconstruction of various body defects because of its thick and vascularized fascia component. We present our clinical experience with the functional one-stage reconstruction of complicated soft-tissue defects using ALTs with vascularized fascia lata (FL). Between April 2018 and February 2022, we transferred ALTs with FL components for various soft-tissue defects in 15 patients. The FL component was used for reconstruction of hand & forearm tendon, medial and lateral patellar synovial membrane, plantar aponeurosis, abdominal wall, dura and Achilles tendon...

IMPORTANCE: Morton neuroma, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendinopathy are foot and ankle conditions that are associated with pain and disability, but they can respond to nonoperative treatment. OBSERVATIONS: Morton neuroma, consisting of interdigital neuronal thickening and fibrosis, is characterized by burning pain in the ball of the foot and numbness or burning pain that may radiate to the affected toes (commonly the third and fourth toes). First-line nonoperative therapy consists of reducing activities that cause pain, orthotics, and interdigital corticosteroid injection; however, approximately 30% of patients may not respond to conservative treatment...

BACKGROUND: Plantar hallux IPJ ulcers are common and challenging to manage, with many available treatments. One newer technique called SPFR has been used in the management of plantar forefoot ulcers. OBJECTIVE: This case series reports the clinical results of SPFR for treatment of strictly plantar hallux IPJ ulcers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients that underwent SPFR procedure by a single foot and ankle surgeon from 2018 to 2023...

INTRODUCTION: Heel pain is one of the most common painful conditions of the foot. There are many causes of heel pain, which are usually associated with calcaneal spurs. Hence, it becomes imperative to diagnose and treat them effectively. The development of calcaneal spur is somewhat not well known but is often said to be developed from inflamed plantar fascia. Heel being weight-bearing part of the body, it is very painful something and adversely affects the activity of daily living. Calcaneal spurs are fibrocartilaginous triangular projections from an insertional area of the plantar fascia...

In this work, we used a hybrid time domain near-infrared spectroscopy (TD-NIRS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) device to retrieve hemoglobin and blood flow oscillations of skeletal muscle microvasculature. We focused on very low (VLF) and low-frequency (LF) oscillations ( i.e., frequency lower than 0.145 Hz), that are related to myogenic, neurogenic and endothelial activities. We measured power spectral density (PSD) of blood flow and hemoglobin concentration in four muscles (thenar eminence, plantar fascia, sternocleidomastoid and forearm) of 14 healthy volunteers to highlight possible differences in microvascular hemodynamic oscillations...

The ankle joint has complex anatomy with different tissue structures and is commonly involved in traumatic injuries. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the primary imaging modality used to assess the soft tissue structures around the ankle joint including the ligaments, tendons, and articular cartilage. Two-dimensional (2D) fast spin echo/turbo spin echo (FSE/TSE) sequences are routinely used for ankle joint imaging. While the 2D sequences provide a good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) with high spatial resolution, there are some limitations to their use owing to the thick slices, interslice gaps leading to partial volume effects, limited fluid contrast, and the need to acquire separate images in different orthogonal planes...

BACKGROUND: The intrinsic and extrinsic foot softtissue structures that apply force and support the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) have been implicated in the development of flat feet. However, the relationship between the changes in MLA height under increasing load and the morphological and mechanical properties of individual intrinsic and extrinsic foot soft tissue structures is not fully understood. RESEARCH QUESTION: To examine the morphological and mechanical characteristics of the foot soft tissue structures in flat feet when subjected to loading...

BACKGROUND: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injections have proven effective in clinical trials for plantar fasciitis treatment but have not been directly compared. We aimed to compare clinical outcomes in patients undergoing PRP or BTX-A injections. METHODS: We performed a randomised controlled trial (59 patients; 1-year follow-up) to assess efficacy, using pain and functional scales (VAS, AOFAS Hindfoot-scale and FAAM questionnaire) and fascia thickness reduction, in control and single ultrasound-guided BTX-A or PRP injection groups...

OBJECTIVE: To identify the effects of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) and foam roller self-myofascial release (FRSMR) strategies and verify their results in athletic performance. METHOD: Systematic review conducted in four databases from 2017. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of two forms of soft tissue mobilization on athletes' performance. The risk of bias was analyzed using the Cochrane Handbook scale...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of manual physiotherapy on clinical outcomes, morphology of plantar fascia (PF), thicknesses of calcaneal fat pad (CFP) and Kager's fat pad (KFP) with ultrasound imaging in plantar fasciitis (PFS) patients. Also, to evaluate the PF thickness, pain and foot functional outcomes among PFS phases. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 122 subjects divided into three groups: group A (40 patients with PFS) underwent manual physiotherapy, group B (42 patients with PFS) without any intervention and group C (40 healthy subjects) were matched by age, gender and BMI with each patient in group A and B...

BACKGROUND Biomechanical dynamic tape supports muscles, joints, and ligaments and is used in ankle and foot injuries. Kinesiology tape (KT), also known as elastic tape, is widely used in sports medicine. Plantar fasciitis, due to inflammation of the plantar fascia, is a common cause of heel pain. This study aimed to compare the effects of dynamic taping and KT on pain, function, and balance in 3 groups of patients with plantar fasciitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty-nine patients with plantar fasciitis were randomly assigned to the dynamic taping with physical therapy (PT) group, the KT with PT group, and the control group (23 each)...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of musculoskeletal ultrasound measurement of plantar fascia thickness and shear wave elastography (SWE) calculation of Young's modulus in the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis (PFis), and to explore whether it will have any impact on clinical decision-making, rather than just using established diagnostic methods of clinical symptoms and signs. METHODS: A diagnostic single-center study was conducted in 60 patients with PFis and 64 patients with other types of heel pain...

The push-off angle is an important factor affecting speed-skating performance. However, quantitative evidence for the relationship between the push-off angle and foot injury is incomplete. This study aimed to establish a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model (FEM) and investigate the mechanical responses of foot structures to stress and strain to explore the relationship between injury and movement. A 3D FEM was reconstructed using CT and 3D scan data and validated by comparing the FEM-predicted and in vivo measurement data in the balanced standing state...

This paper presents the design and testing of an arched foot with several biomimetic features, including five individual MTP (toe) joints, four individual midfoot joints, and plantar fascia. The creation of a triple-arched foot represents a step further in bio-inspired design compared to other published designs. The arched structure creates flexibility that is similar to human feet with a vertical deflection of up to 12 mm. The individual toe joints enable abduction-adduction in the forefoot and therefore a natural pronation motion...

Plantar fibromatosis (or Ledderhose's disease) is a rare benign condition, difficult to treat, defined by gradual-growing nodules in the central medial part of the plantar fascia, with the possibility of sclerosis and shrinkage of the entire fascia or, rarely, contractures of the toes. From a histopathological point of view, it is linked to Dupuytren's contracture of the hand and Peyronie's disease of the penis, being part of a large group of fibromatoses, based on a proliferation of collagen and fibroblasts...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of local vibration combined with extracorporeal shock wave therapy and extracorporeal shock wave therapy alone for plantar fasciitis. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial including 34 participants with a mean age of 37.5 years. Participants were randomly allocated to a group treated with extracorporeal shock wave therapy combined with local vibration (ESWT-LV group) or a group treated with extracorporeal shock wave therapy alone (ESWT-alone group)...