Magnetic resonance imaging findings of chronic plantar fasciitis before and after extracorporeal shock wave therapy.

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this study is to examine the relationships between treatment outcome and changes in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings after extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for chronic plantar fasciitis.

METHODS

The subjects were 23 feet of 23 patients of refractory plantar fasciitis. The mean age was 53.7 years. The thickness of the plantar fascia (PF) and findings of a high-signal intensity area (HSIA) inside the PF, edema around the PF, and bone marrow edema (BME) of the calcaneus were investigated on MR images. The Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot (JSSF) ankle-hindfoot scale and a visual analogue scale (VAS) were used. Correlations between an improvement in symptoms and one in the MRI findings were analyzed.

RESULTS

The mean thickness of the PF was 4.4±1.6mm before ESWT and 4.6±1.8mm six months after ESWT. After ESWT, there was a decrease in the numbers of feet showing HSIA inside the PF from 15 to 6, in edema around the PF from 16 to 2, and in BME of the calcaneus from 11 to 4. Clinical outcomes improved with ESWT from 70.3±5.5 to 88.6±9.1 points (JSSF), 74.1±25.3 to 28.5±24.4 points (VAS), respectively. Improvements in symptoms according to the JSSF and VAS scores and improvement in edema around the PF on MR images showed a significant correlation.

CONCLUSIONS

Edema around the PF improved significantly in association with an improvement in symptoms after ESWT.