title: Plantar and medial heel pain: diagnosis and management.
abstract: Heel pain is commonly encountered in orthopaedic practice. Establishing an accurate diagnosis is critical, but it can be challenging due to the complex regional anatomy. Subacute and chronic plantar and medial heel pain are most frequently the result of repetitive microtrauma or compression of neurologic structures, such as plantar fasciitis, heel pad atrophy, Baxter nerve entrapment, calcaneal stress fracture, and tarsal tunnel syndrome. Most causes of inferior heel pain can be successfully managed nonsurgically. Surgical intervention is reserved for patients who do not respond to nonsurgical measures. Although corticosteroid injections have a role in the management of select diagnoses, they should be used with caution.
authors.affiliation: From the Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI (Dr. Lareau, Dr. Sawyer, and Ms. Wang), the Rhode Island Hospital, Providence (Dr. Lareau and Dr. Sawyer), and Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (Dr. DiGiovanni).
authors.forename: Craig R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lareau
authors.affiliation: From the Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI (Dr. Lareau, Dr. Sawyer, and Ms. Wang), the Rhode Island Hospital, Providence (Dr. Lareau and Dr. Sawyer), and Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (Dr. DiGiovanni).
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.affiliation: From the Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI (Dr. Lareau, Dr. Sawyer, and Ms. Wang), the Rhode Island Hospital, Providence (Dr. Lareau and Dr. Sawyer), and Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (Dr. DiGiovanni).
authors.forename: Joanne H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: From the Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI (Dr. Lareau, Dr. Sawyer, and Ms. Wang), the Rhode Island Hospital, Providence (Dr. Lareau and Dr. Sawyer), and Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (Dr. DiGiovanni).
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: DiGiovanni
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D036981:Fasciitis, Plantar / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D015775:Fractures, Stress / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006365:Heel; D006801:Humans; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D013641:Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy