Efficacy of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture or waitlist control for patients with chronic plantar fasciitis: study protocol for a two-centre randomised controlled trial

An assessment of plantar fascia with ultrasound findings in patients with plantar fasciitis: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Plantar fasciitis (PFS) is described by an intense pain over medial tubercle of calcaneus, increased with the first step after waking up, after rest and during weightbearing activity. It is the most common cause of plantar heel pain in adults with the prevalence estimated 10% of the general population. Ultrasound imaging is commonly being used to measure the PF thickness, evaluate the efficacy of different treatments and a guide therapeutic technique in patients with PFS. The objective of this study was to systematically review the studies that were previously published to evaluate the role of ultrasound in the assessment of PF in patients with PFS.

METHODS

A systematic search was carried out over the last 5 years from 2017 to 2022 on basis the following electronic databases: Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Springer and PubMed. The keywords that used in the searching were: ultrasound, sonography, ultrasonography, plantar fasciitis, imaging of plantar fascia, physiotherapy of plantar fasciitis, interventional treatment of plantar fasciitis, randomized controlled trial of plantar fasciitis and interventional ultrasound. The review focused on the assessment of PF in patients with PFS underwent different interventions using B-mode, shear wave elastography (SWE) and color Doppler ultrasound.

RESULTS

During the search process, 1661 were recorded using the proper keywords from 2017 to 2022 in which 666 original articles were found after removing the review and duplicated articles. Of these, thirty articles met the inclusion criteria and included in this review. The articles have assessed the PF in patients with PFS under different conditions using different ultrasound modes. Twenty-six articles evaluated the effectiveness of different treatment on PF in patients with PFS using different ultrasound modes. In 8 of 26 articles, the ultrasound was used as both an assessment tool of PF and guide therapeutic technique in patients with PFS. In 18 articles, the ultrasound was used as only assessment tool to identify the PF thickness and its observation changes in patients with PFS. Four articles compared the PF thickness and its intrafascial changes between patients with PFS and healthy subjects.

CONCLUSION

The ultrasound can be a reliable tool in assessment the effect of different interventions on PF by evaluating its thickness, echogenicity and stiffness changes in patients with PFS. There were different methods and treatments were used among the studies.

Artificial Intelligence Technology Combined with Ultrasound-Guided Needle Knife Interventional Treatment of PF: Improvement of Pain, Fascia Thickness, and Ankle-Foot Function in Patients

Objective

To explore the effect of artificial intelligence (AI) technology combined with ultrasound-guided needle knife intervention in the treatment of plantar fasciitis (PF) on pain, fascia thickness, and ankle and foot function.

Methods

A total of 130 patients with PF treated in our hospital from January 2019 to April 2021 were enrolled. The patients were randomly assigned into the control group and the study group. The control group received ultrasound-guided needle knife interventional therapy, and the study group received AI technology combined with ultrasound-guided needle knife interventional therapy. The curative effect, VAS score, plantar fascia thickness, plantar fascia elasticity score, plantar fascia blood flow index, and AOFAS score were investigated.

Results

The total effective rate of the study group was higher compared to that of the control (P < 0.05). There exhibited no significant difference in VAS score before treatment, but the VAS score of the study group was lower compared to that of the control group at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment. There exhibited no significant difference in plantar fascia thickness before treatment (P > 0.05), but after treatment, the plantar fascia thickness in the study group was lower compared to that in the control (P < 0.05). The plantar fascia thickness in the study group was lower compared to that in the control at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment (P < 0.05). In terms of the plantar fascia elasticity score, there exhibited no significant difference before treatment (P > 0.05), but the plantar fascia elasticity score of the study group was lower compared to that of the control at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment (P < 0.05). There exhibited no significant difference in plantar fascia blood flow index before treatment (P > 0.05), but after treatment, the plantar fascia blood flow index in the study group was higher compared to that in the control (P < 0.05). The plantar fascia blood flow index in the study group was higher compared to that in the control at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment (P < 0.05). There exhibited no significant difference in the AOFAS score before treatment, but after treatment, the AOFAS score of the study group was higher compared to that of the control at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment.

Conclusion

Patients with PF receive AI technology combined with ultrasound-guided needle knife interventional therapy, which can effectively relieve pain and improve fascia thickness and ankle-foot function. Thus, AI technology combined with ultrasound-guided needle knife interventional therapy has the advantages of convenient operation, safety, and effectiveness, which is worthy of clinical application.