Graduate School of Health Sciences, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences, 1-26-16 Nankouminami Suminoeku, Osaka-city, Osaka, Japan; Amano Orthopadaedic Clinic, 4-1-5 Komagawa Higashisumiyoshi, Osaka-city, Osaka, Japan.
Inclusive Medical Science Research Institute, 1-26-16 Nankouminami Suminoeku, Osaka-city, Osaka, Japan.
Foot (Edinb). 2022 Mar;50:101890. doi: 10.1016/j.foot.2021.101890. Epub 2021 Dec 23.
Although patients with plantar fasciitis show spring ligament laxity, the thickness of the spring ligament in patients with plantar fasciitis remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the morphological characteristics of the spring ligament in patients with plantar fasciitis based on an ultrasound imaging system (US).
Thirty feet of 30 patients (painful group) diagnosed with plantar fasciitis at our hospital and thirty feet of 30 healthy volunteers (healthy group) without plantar pain were investigated. The thicknesses of both the spring ligament and plantar fascia were assessed via a US statistical comparison of the spring ligament and plantar fascia thickness between the painful and healthy groups. This was performed using Welch's t-test, and the significance level was set at p < 0.01. In addition, Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the correlation between the spring ligament and plantar fascia thickness in the two groups, and the significance level was set at p < 0.01.
The spring ligament thickness in the painful group was significantly lower than that in the healthy group (p < 0.001). The thickness of the plantar fascia in the painful group was significantly greater than that in the healthy group (p = 0.03). In addition, the correlation between the spring ligament and plantar fascia thickness was moderately negative (r = -0.42, p = 0.001). The thicker the plantar fascia in the subjects, the thinner was the spring ligament.
The thickness of the spring ligament in patients with plantar fasciitis decreased. The thinning of the spring ligament was negatively correlated with the thickening of the plantar fascia as per the US evaluation. Based on the spring ligament thinning determined via US evaluation, interventions such as insoles from an early stage could prevent the onset of plantar fasciitis.
尽管足底筋膜炎患者表现出弹簧韧带松弛，但足底筋膜炎患者的弹簧韧带厚度尚不清楚。本研究旨在基于超声成像系统（US）阐明足底筋膜炎患者弹簧韧带的形态特征。
对我院 30 例（疼痛组）足底筋膜炎患者和 30 例（健康组）无足底疼痛的健康志愿者的 30 只脚进行了调查。通过 US 统计比较疼痛组和健康组弹簧韧带和足底筋膜厚度，评估弹簧韧带厚度。使用 Welch t 检验进行统计比较，显著水平设为 p < 0.01。此外，计算了两组弹簧韧带和足底筋膜厚度之间的 Pearson 相关系数，显著水平设为 p < 0.01。
疼痛组的弹簧韧带厚度明显低于健康组（p < 0.001）。疼痛组的足底筋膜厚度明显大于健康组（p = 0.03）。此外，弹簧韧带和足底筋膜厚度之间存在中度负相关（r = -0.42，p = 0.001）。受试者的足底筋膜越厚，弹簧韧带越薄。
足底筋膜炎患者的弹簧韧带厚度减小。弹簧韧带变薄与足底筋膜增厚呈负相关，可通过 US 评估得出。基于 US 评估得出的弹簧韧带变薄，可以从早期开始通过鞋垫等干预措施来预防足底筋膜炎的发生。
