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Technical report: dynamic assessment of plantar fasciitis and plantar fascia tears utilising dorsiflexion of the great toe

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Abstract

Discrimination between plantar fasciitis and partial tears of the plantar fascia can be difficult on ultrasound given laxity of the plantar fascia in the region of its calcaneal insertion and anisotropy. Dynamic assessment with great toe dorsiflexion can improve visualisation of the proximal portion of the plantar fascia on ultrasound, by straightening the plantar fascia due to the windlass mechanism. This article describes the technique and its anatomical basis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol Road South, Birmingham, B31 2AP, UK

    James S. B. Kho, Ghassan Almeer, Sharon McGarry, Steven L. James & Rajesh Botchu

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  1. James S. B. Kho
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  2. Ghassan Almeer
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  3. Sharon McGarry
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  4. Steven L. James
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  5. Rajesh Botchu
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Correspondence to James S. B. Kho.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Kho, J.S.B., Almeer, G., McGarry, S. et al. Technical report: dynamic assessment of plantar fasciitis and plantar fascia tears utilising dorsiflexion of the great toe. J Ultrasound 23, 397–400 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-019-00411-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-019-00411-3

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