Sonoelastographic evaluation of plantar fascia after shock wave therapy for recalcitrant plantar fasciitis: A 12-month longitudinal follow-up study

Evaluation of the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection treatment in plantar fasciitis using shear wave elastography

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection in patients with plantar fasciitis (PF) and assess changes in shear wave elastography (SWE) measurements and clinical outcomes.

METHODS

Between March and August 2024, 66 patients (aged 27 to 67 years) diagnosed with PF were enrolled in the study. Plantar fascia thickness, shear wave velocity (SWV) in meters per second (m/s), and Young's modulus in kilopascals (kPa) were measured before the injection and at a 1-month follow-up. The correlation of these measurements with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS, 0-10) and the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores was analyzed.

RESULTS

Before treatment, the plantar fascia thickness, SWV, and Young's modulus were recorded as 5.02 ± 0.66 mm, 2.37 ± 0.22 m/s, and 18.64 ± 3.28 kPa, respectively. At the 1-month follow-up, these values significantly changed to 3.53 ± 0.39 mm, 3.39 ± 0.32 m/s, and 35.49 ± 7.25 kPa, respectively (p < 0.001 for all). A significant reduction in plantar fascia thickness and a significant increase in SWV and Young's modulus were observed. Additionally, improvements in VAS and AOFAS scores were strongly correlated with increases in SWV and Young's modulus (VAS-m/s: r = -0.632, p = 0.011; AOFAS-m/s: r = 0.695, p = 0.001; VAS-kPa: r = -0.673, p < 0.001; AOFAS-kPa: r = 0.798, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection significantly increased plantar fascia stiffness, and SWE measurements strongly correlated with clinical improvements. SWE proves to be a valuable adjunctive tool for evaluating treatment response in PF.

Using ultrasound elastography to assess non-invasive, non-pharmacological interventions for musculoskeletal stiffness: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To evaluate the current evidence regarding the use of ultrasound elastography for assessing non-invasive, non-pharmacological interventions for eliciting changes in musculoskeletal stiffness.

METHODS

A systematic search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases was performed in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Information on measurement and intervention procedures was extracted. Bias was assessed using Cochrane Risk of Bias or Risk of Bias In Non-randomised Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tools for studies with true or quasi-experimental designs, respectively. Analyses were conducted for adequately powered subgroups based on intervention type, measurement site, and population assessed.

RESULTS

Twenty-one studies were included in the review. Overall risk of bias was low for true experimental studies and moderate for quasi-experimental studies. Subgroup analyses indicated a large overall effect for interventions involving manual physiotherapy and taping/splinting for reducing masseter muscle stiffness in patients with masticatory muscle disorders (g = 1.488, 95% CI = 0.320-2.655, p = 0.013). Analyses for other intervention types and patient groups were underpowered.

CONCLUSION

Ultrasound elastography demonstrates clinical applicability for assessing non-invasive, non-pharmacological interventions for musculoskeletal stiffness. However, the comparative efficacy of these interventions for modulating tissue stiffness remains inconclusive.

The Importance of Preconditioning for the Sonographic Assessment of Plantar Fascia Thickness and Shear Wave Velocity

Plantar fasciopathy is a very common musculoskeletal complaint that leads to reduced physical activity and undermines the quality of life of patients. It is associated with changes in plantar fascia structure and biomechanics which are most often observed between the tissue's middle portion and the calcaneal insertion. Sonographic measurements of thickness and shear wave (SW) elastography are useful tools for detecting such changes and guide clinical decision making. However, their accuracy can be compromised by variability in the tissue's loading history. This study investigates the effect of loading history on plantar fascia measurements to conclude whether mitigation measures are needed for more accurate diagnosis. The plantar fasciae of 29 healthy participants were imaged at baseline and after different clinically relevant loading scenarios. The average (±standard deviation) SW velocity was 6.5 m/s (±1.5 m/s) and it significantly increased with loading. Indicatively, five minutes walking increased SW velocity by 14% (95% CI: -1.192, -0.298, t(27), p = 0.005). Thickness between the calcaneal insertion and the middle of the plantar fascia did not change with the tissues' loading history. These findings suggest that preconditioning protocols are crucial for accurate SW elastography assessments of plantar fasciae and have wider implications for the diagnosis and management of plantar fasciopathy.

Utility of Shear Wave Elastography for the Diagnosis of Plantar Fasciitis: Comparison Between Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Sides in Unilaterally Affected Patients

INTRODUCTION

Plantar fasciitis (PF) can cause pain in the heel, which can affect everyday activities. While it often resolves on its own, diagnosing PF to rule out other hind foot conditions by imaging modality in cases of recurrence can be difficult. Methods such as MRI and ultrasonography are helpful, but the use of elastography, specifically shear wave elastography (SWE), as a tool for diagnosing PF is being studied.

METHODOLOGY

This comparative observational study included patients over 18 years presenting with unilateral hind foot pain who were investigated using SWE. Exclusions comprised those who were bilaterally affected and with foot deformities, trauma history, or prior injection therapy. Patients' AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Scores were assessed along with visual analog scale (VAS) scores, followed by SWE examination of both heels.

RESULTS

The study found no significant difference in the plantar fascia thickness between affected and unaffected sides, with a mean thickness of 4.3±0.8mm and 5.1±0.6mm, respectively. Shear wave velocity (SWV) was lower on the affected side, indicating reduced stiffness compared to the unaffected side. The Spearman rank test revealed strong direct correlations between SWV and both the VAS and HF-AOFAS scores on the affected side.

CONCLUSION

The study observed that SWE enhances B-mode ultrasonography in detecting early PF even with normal plantar fascia thickness, offering a user-independent and reliable tool for treatment monitoring and correlation with functional and pain scores. Further research with larger populations can aid in developing a clinico-radiological classification system for PF, improving prognostication and treatment guidance.

Consensus statements and guideline for the diagnosis and management of plantar fasciitis in Singapore

Introduction

Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a common cause of heel pain among the general population. The lack of standard practice guideline in Singapore presents challenges in education and clinical practice for this painful condition. These consensus statements and guideline were developed to streamline and improve the management of PF, covering key aspects such as diagnosis, investigations, risk factors, treatment modalities, monitoring and return to work/play.

Method

A multidisciplinary expert panel consisting of 6 sports physicians, 2 orthopaedic surgeons, 2 podiatrists and 1 physiotherapist from SingHealth Duke-NUS Sport & Exercise Medicine Centre (SDSC) was convened based on their clinical and academic experience with PF. The Grading of Recommen-dations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach was used to evaluate the quality of the evidence and subsequently prepare a set of clinical recommen-dations pertaining to the manage-ment of PF. A modified Delphi process was used to reach consensus.

Results

Eighteen consensus statements were developed to cover key components of PF management, from initial diagnosis to treatment modalities and finally, clinical progression. They were subsequently consolidated under a proposed treatment pathway guideline for PF.

Conclusion

The SDSC consensus statements and guideline provide concise recommendations for the management of PF in Singapore.

Efficacy and Safety of Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection for Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: A Prospective Study on Functional Restoration and Pain Relief

Background Heel discomfort and functional impairment are frequently caused by plantar fasciitis, and treating it can be extremely difficult for clinicians and occasionally have unfavorable clinical consequences. Recently, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used as an alternative therapy for plantar fasciitis (PF) to reduce heel pain and improve functional restoration. We evaluated the current evidence concerning the efficacy and safety of PRP as a treatment for PF. Methodology This was a hospital-based prospective study on patients with plantar fasciitis with a symptom duration of six months or more with failed conservative therapy. All patients included in the study were assessed clinically and by a visual analog score (VAS) for heel pain, the Ankle-Hindfoot Scale (AHS) component of the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) scores before injection, and at three weeks, three and six-months post-PRP treatment follow-up. Ultrasonography (USG) measurement of plantar fascia thickness was done pre-injection and at the six-month follow-up for clinical outcomes and any complications. Results The study included 25 patients with plantar fasciitis, with the majority (48%) in the age group of 21-30 years. Females accounted for 64% of the patients while males accounted for 36%. Most patients (56%) had a moderately active daily activity level. The study found that 16 patients had bilateral plantar fasciitis while nine had unilateral plantar fasciitis. Among the patients with bilateral plantar fasciitis, a total of 32 heels were affected while the 9 patients with unilateral plantar fasciitis had 9 affected heels. Most female patients (75%) had bilateral plantar fasciitis while most male patients (56%) had unilateral plantar fasciitis. Before PRP therapy, both male and female patients reported high pain scores on the VAS for both heels. However, after PRP infiltration, the VAS scores significantly decreased at three weeks, three months, and six months post-injection, indicating pain relief. The AOFAS hindfoot and ankle scores and FAAM scores showed improvement over the follow-up period. Both male and female patients experienced significant improvements in functional outcomes, with increases in AOFAS (p-value 0.45) and FAAM scores (p-value 0.31) at three weeks, three months, and six months post-injection compared to baseline. Statistical analysis revealed a significant decrease in pain scores (73% pain relief), as well as significant improvements in AOFAS scores with an average of 22.33 from baseline (mean = 67.75±9.7) to final follow-up (mean = 90.08±7.9) and FAAM scores with an average of 23.72 from baseline (mean = 49.38±5.2) to final follow-up (mean = 73.10±5.2) after PRP infiltration. Conclusion The outcomes of a single dosage of PRP injections demonstrate clinically and statistically substantial improvements in functional outcome scores, plantar fascia thickness evaluated by USG, and VAS scores for heel pain. According to the results of this study, local PRP injection is an effective treatment for chronic plantar fasciitis.

Plantar Fasciitis: An Updated Review

Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a common musculoskeletal disease. Histologic findings of patients with PF showed mainly chronic degenerative processes rather than inflammation. In addition to mechanical factors, such as repetitive stress and reduced ankle dorsiflexion, PF is also linked to rheumatologic diseases and genetic factors. Ultrasound is becoming a standard imaging technique for assessing PF. Major sonographic findings included increased plantar fascia thickness and hypoechoic plantar fascia. In addition to traditional B-mode ultrasound, sonoelastography can also be utilized to diagnose PF. Ultrasound can also be used to guide therapeutic interventions. Over 80% of patients with PF improved under nonsurgical treatment. Treatment options for PF include physical therapy, modalities (laser, therapeutic ultrasound), extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), injections, transcatheter arterial embolization, and surgery. For injections, corticosteroid was mostly used in the past but has been replaced gradually by other techniques such as platelet-rich plasma or dextrose prolotherapy. There is also more and more evidence about ESWT in treating PF. Surgery serves as an option for recalcitrant PF cases, and endoscopic fasciotomy seemed to have good outcomes. Ultrasound plays an important role in diagnosing of PF and evaluating the treatment effect, and the use of sonoelastography in addition to traditional B-mode ultrasound may help in the early detection of PF and assessment of the treatment effect.

Utility of Ultrasound Elastography to Evaluate Poststroke Spasticity and Therapeutic Efficacy: A Narrative Review

Poststroke spasticity (PSS) is a common complication that affects function and daily self-care. Conservative PSS treatments include traditional rehabilitation, botulinum toxin injection, and extracorporeal shock wave therapy. Currently, the Modified Ashworth Scale and Modified Tardieu Scale are widely used tools to clinically evaluate spasticity, but the best tool for PSS assessment remained controversial. Ultrasound elastography (UE), including shear wave and strain image as the emerging method to evaluate soft tissue elasticity, became popular in clinical applications. Spastic biceps and gastrocnemius muscles were reported to be significantly stiffer compared to nonparetic muscles or healthy control using shear wave or strain elastography. More studies investigated the utility, reliability, and validity of UE in patients with PSS, but the contemporary consensus for the utility of UE in the measurement and therapeutic follow-up of PSS remained lacking. Therefore, this narrative review aimed to appraise the literature on the shear wave and strain elastography on PSS and summarize the roles of UE in assessing the therapeutic efficacy of different PSS interventions.

Ultrasound elastography for the evaluation of plantar fasciitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the utility of ultrasound (US) elastography in the assessment of plantar fasciitis (PF).

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, and Scopus and systemically reviewed clinical studies that used US elastography for imaging PF. The primary outcome was the comparison of plantar fascia stiffness between healthy controls and patients with PF, quantified using the weighted mean difference (WMD) and standardized mean difference (SMD).

RESULTS

Eleven studies were included in the final systematic review and meta-analysis. In six studies that employed shear wave elastography, patients with PF had a lower shear wave velocity, with a WMD of -1.772 m/s (95 % confidence interval [CI], -2.663 to -0.880) and an SMD of -1.239 m/s (95 % CI, -1.876 to -0.603), compared to those with asymptomatic heels. One study using the strain ratio showed that the WMD and SMD of patients with diseased heels vs healthy controls were -0.400 (95 % CI, -0.850 to 0.050) and -0.442 (95 % CI, -0.946 to 0.062), respectively. In six articles that use the color histogram of strain elastography, less stiffness was consistently reported in the diseased plantar fascia compared with healthy controls.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis showed that the plantar fasciae were less stiff in the PF group than in asymptomatic subjects. The diagnostic performance of US elastography (over B-mode) warrants further investigation.

The application of ultrasound shear wave elastography in the prediction of paradoxical upgrading reaction in tuberculous lymphadenitis. a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Paradoxical upgrading reaction (PUR) indicates the unanticipated deterioration during therapy in patients with tuberculous lymphadenitis. We investigated the diagnostic performance of the ultrasonography and shear wave elastography (SWE) in predicting the therapeutic response of peripheral tuberculous lymphadenitis.

METHODS

A prospective observational study was conducted from December 2017 to August 2020. Participants diagnosed with peripheral tuberculous lymphadenitis were included for a longitudinal follow-up utilizing ultrasonography with two-dimensional SWE to record sonographic features and the maximum elasticity value (Emax). We defined PUR as the development of any worsening symptoms of the pre-existing lymphadenitis within one month after the previous ultrasonography.

RESULTS

A total of 108 sonographic and SWE examinations were performed in 20 enrollees (75% woman), and their mean ( ± standard deviation) age was 49.6 ( ± 22.7) years. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of Emax to predict the next-month PUR was 0.906 at the cut-point of 85 kPa, with an accuracy of 87.0%, a sensitivity of 81.1% and a specificity of 87.9%. Multivariate analysis indicated that Emax > 85 kPa (OR: 24.85, 95% CI: 4.01-154.08, p < 0.001), Emax increment rate >2 kPa/month (OR: 15.14, 95% CI: 4.24-54.06, p < 0.001), and heterogeneous echogenicity (OR: 4.37, 95% CI: 1.16-16.43, p = 0.029) were independent sonographic predictors for PUR in the coming month.

CONCLUSIONS

A high and non-declining Emax level and heterogeneous echogenicity were associated with the next-month PUR of tuberculous lymphadenitis. Ultrasonography with SWE may be a potential radiologic marker to predict the therapeutic response of tuberculous lymphadenitis.

Efficacy of Unfocused Medium-Intensity Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (MI-ESWT) for Plantar Fasciitis

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is a promising treatment for plantar fasciitis (PF), however, treatment results have varied due to inconsistencies among types of shock wave treatment and devices used. This retrospective chart review includes patients who underwent ESWT using the OrthoGold 100™ shock wave device (MTS, Konstanz, Germany) for PF between January, 2013 and September, 2018. There were 108 patients (119 heels) identified, with a mean age of 51.7 ± 16.5 (Range 21-83) years. Patients were treated weekly for 3 weeks, with 2000 impulses per session at an energy flux density between 0.10 and 0.17 mJ/mm². Mean follow-up duration was 11.5 ± 9.7 (Range 3-51) months. Mean pre-ESWT pain visual assessment scale improved from 6.7 ± 1.7 to 2.6 ± 2.7 (p < .001). The Foot and Ankle Outcome Score subscales: pain, function of daily living, function of sports and recreational activities and quality of life domains improved from 53.7 ± 14.9 to 75.7 ± 16.7 (p < .001), from 38 ± 15.2 to 71.8 ± 23 (p < .001), from 55.8 ± 16.4 to 71.4 ± 18 (p < .001), from 42.4 ± 21.5 to 59.4 ± 20.3 (p < .001) and from 44.9 ± 16.4 to 69 ± 23.9 (p < .001), respectively. Eighty-eight (81.5%) patients were satisfied with the procedure at final follow-up. Treatment of PF with unfocused shock waves was well tolerated and led to significant pain reduction, functional improvement, and patient satisfaction.