title: [Assessment of plantar fasciitis using shear wave elastography].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the stiffness and thickness of the plantar fascia using shear wave elastography (SWE) in healthy volunteers of different ages and in patients with plantar fasciitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The bilateral feet of 30 healthy volunteers and 23 patients with plantar fasciitis were examined with SWE. The plantar fascia thickness and elasticity modulus value were measured at the insertion of the calcaneus and at 1 cm from the insertion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The elderly volunteers had a significantly greater plantar fascia thickness measured using conventional ultrasound (P=0.005) and a significantly lower elasticity modulus value than the young volunteers (P=0.000). The patients with fasciitis had a significantly greater plantar fascia thickness (P=0.001) and a lower elasticity modulus value than the elderly volunteers (P=0.000). The elasticity modulus value was significantly lower at the calcaneus insertion than at 1 cm from the insertion in patients with fasciitis (P=0.000) but showed no significantly difference between the two points in the elderly or young volunteers (P=0.172, P=0.126).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SWE allows quantitative assessment of the stiffness of the plantar fascia, which decreases with aging and in patients with plantar fasciitis.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Medical Center, General Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100853, China.E-mail: zhangln301@163.com.
authors.forename: Lining
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wenbo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Lihai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Yukun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.forename: Zhixin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Peifu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005205:Fascia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D036981:Fasciitis, Plantar / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged