Overview of plantar fasciitis

Babatunde, 2019 David, 2017 Morrissey, 2021

Figure 1. Key points for plantar fasciitis.

[NB1]

Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of plantar heel pain (anteromedial calcaneal pain).
Diagnosis is clinical and investigations are not required.
Management should prioritise simple physical treatments and analgesia.
Local corticosteroid injection into the region of the fascial attachment can be helpful if there are inflammatory features.
Orthoses have been shown to be no better than sham orthoses.

Note: NB1: This list is a summary guide only; refer to full text.

Plantar heel pain is the suggested term used to describe a condition of undifferentiated pain under the heel (when no other diagnosis is obvious); however, the clinical utility of this term remains unclear. Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of plantar heel pain at the anteromedial aspect of the calcaneus. It usually has a mechanical aetiology and is degenerative in nature.

Plantar fasciitis may represent an enthesopathy associated with one of the spondyloarthritides. Increased body mass index (BMI) is likely to be a risk factor for the disorder. It is also common in runners, potentially associated with arch deformities of the foot (eg pes cavus, pes planus).