The Clinical Features of Plantar Fascia Rupture

Ho Seong Lee; Jong Yoon Lee; Jae Jung Jeong

doi:10.14193/jkfas.2017.21.1.17

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Lee, Lee, and Jeong: The Clinical Features of Plantar Fascia Rupture

Original Article

Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society 2017; 21(1): 17-20.

Published online: 15 March 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14193/jkfas.2017.21.1.17

The Clinical Features of Plantar Fascia Rupture

Ho Seong Lee, Jong Yoon Lee^*, Jae Jung Jeong^*

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

^*Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Daejeon, Korea.

Corresponding Author: Jae Jung Jeong. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 64 Daeheung-ro, Jung-gu, Daejeon 34943, Korea. Tel: 82-42-220-9530, Fax: 82-42-221-0429, jjeong@catholic.ac.kr

Received 8 November 2016 Revised 31 December 2016 Accepted 19 January 2017

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze the clinical features of plantar fascia rupture.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 312 patients with plantar fasciitis between March 2008 and February 2013. We investigated age, sex, site, visual analogue scale (VAS), body mass index (BMI), characteristics of pain, awareness of rupture, and duration of symptoms. Acute rupture was defined as a rupture that occurred during exercise; chronic rupture was defined as a degenerative rupture after plantar fasciitis. We investigated the frequency of acute and chronic rupture.

Results

Among 312 patients, 38 patients (12.2%) were diagnosed with plantar fascia rupture. Thirty-eight patients consisted of 14 men (36.8%) and 24 women (63.2%). The mean age of plantar fascia rupture was 58.29±12.54 years. The mean VAS score was 5.92 points (3~9 points). The mean BMI was 25.92±1.59 kg/m². Among the 38 patients, 2 patients had acute plantar fascia rupture and 36 had chronic plantar fascia rupture. In 34 patients—out of 36 chronic plantar fascia rupture, there were no subjective symptoms.

Conclusion

Chronic rupture of the plantar fascia that occurred after plantar fasciitis was more common than acute rupture. Chronic rupture occurred at approximately 12% of patients treated with plantar fasciitis. In chronic rupture of the plantar fascia, there were no subjective symptoms of rupture. Therefore, we should doubt chronic rupture of plantar fascia when plantar fasciitis is prolonged.

Keywords: Plantar fascia rupture, Plantar fasciitis, Clinical features

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

Plantar fascia rupture was diagnosed with palpation in full dorsiflexion of the ankle and metatarsophalangeal joints.

Figure 2

The ultrasonography was showed complete rupture of plantar fascia (PF) (arrow).

Figure 3

The ultrasonography (A) was diagnosed partial rupture of plantar fascia (PF) or chronic plantar fasciits. But, magnetic resonance imaging (B) showed plantar fascia complete rupture.

Table 1

Characteristics of Plantar Fascia Rupture

Characteristic	Value
Number of patients	38
Age (yr)	58.29±12.54
Male:female	14:24
Right:light:bilateral	22:15:1
VAS	5.92±1.79
BMI (kg/m²)	25.92±1.59
Rupture
Acute	2 (5.3)
Chronic (after plantar fasciitis)	36 (94.7)
Consciousness of rupture	4/38
Acute	2/2
Chronic	2/36

Values are presented as number only, mean±standard deviation, or number (%).

VAS: visual analogue scale, BMI: body mass index.

Notes

^{Financial support} None.

^{Conflict of interest} None.

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