[Plantar fasciitis and radiotherapy. Clinical and radiobiological treatment results].
Patients with plantar fasciitis and pain refractory to conventional therapy are treated with low-dose radiotherapy (RT), but no conclusive evidence-based and radiobiological studies had been performed. In 2001 the German Cooperative Group on Radiotherapy for Benign Diseases (GCG-BD) carried out a study by mailing a standardized questionnaire. A total of 136 institutions treated 3621 patients/year with chronic or refractory pain. The median total dose was 6 Gy (median single dose: 1 Gy); 76 institutions reported data of their clinical evaluation of a total of 7947 patients. Pain relief lasting for at least 3 months was reported in 70% and persistent pain relief in 65%. There were no acute or chronic radiogenic side effects observed. The radiobiological studies showed a significant increase of granulocyte function at 1.5 Gy and a significant decrease at 3.5 and 4.0 Gy. These results may provide a possible explanation for a local anti-inflammatory effect of low-dose RT. RT may be an excellent alternative for patients with contraindications to long-term treatment with steroids or NSAID.
Micke
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O
Klinik und Poliklinik für Strahlentherapie -- Radioonkologie, Universitätsklinikum, Münster. omicke@trace-elements.de
Seeegenschmiedt
M H
MH
Mücke
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R
de Vries
A
A
Schäfer
U
U
Willich
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D036981:Fasciitis, Plantar / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015995:Prevalence; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome