title: Evaluation of ultrasound-guided extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis.
abstract: Thirty patients (39 heels) were evaluated to determine the success of ultrasound-guided ESWT for treatment of recalcitrant plantar fasciitis. All patients had been diagnosed and treated for plantar fasciitis for greater than 6 months and had failed at least 3 conservative treatment modalities. Each patient received 3800 shockwaves into the treated heel using the Dornier Epos Ultra ESWT machine. The average postoperative follow-up was 124 days (range, 33 to 255). Written subjective surveys evaluated pre- and posttreatment pain levels using a visual analog scoring system. The mean pretreatment score was 8.51 (range, 5 to 10), which improved to a mean follow-up score of 3.75 (range, 0 to 10). This represents an improvement in the mean VAS of 4.76, which is statistically significant ( P = .0002). Twenty-five of 30 patients reported some degree of improvement, with 5 experiencing no change. These early results indicate ultrasound-guided ESWT may be a useful tool in the treatment armamentarium for chronic plantar fasciitis.
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgery, Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Hyer
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vancourt
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Block
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D036981:Fasciitis, Plantar / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006365:Heel / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019220:High-Energy Shock Waves / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D059408:Pain Management; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography