Evaluation of the Elasticity and Thickness of the Heel Fat Pad With Ultrasound in Plantar Fasciitis

Abstract

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate thickness and elasticity of heel fat pad in patients with unilateral plantar fasciitis and to investigate the effects of age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and functional scores on plantar fasciitis. Material and Method 70 patients who had been suffering from unilateral plantar fasciitis longer than 6 months were enrolled in the study. The thickness and elasticity of fat pad were compared between the painful and healthy feet of the patients with ultrasound. For measurement of elasticity, shear wave elastography (SWE) was used. Comparative analysis was performed for thickness and elasticity variables between the painful and healthy feet with Mann–Whitney U and independent samples t-test. Results Average of age of the patients was 44±11.66. The average thickness of the heel fat pad was 17.9±3.1 mm on the affected side and 18.3±3.3 mm on the healthy side. The mean SWE value of the painful side was 23.9 m/s (range 9.3-32) and was 24.7 m/s (range 10.8-34) on the healthy side. Heel fat pad thickness was greater in the healthy feet than in the painful feet, but there was no statistical significance (p=0.448). The painful feet were stiffer, but the difference was statistically similar (p=0.347). BMI had a statistically significant impact on thickness of heel fat pad. Conclusion The results showed that a decrease in the heel fat pad thickness was a supporting finding of plantar fasciitis in patients with normal BMI but not in patients with BMI>25.