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Positive power Doppler signal in plantar fasciitis

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Abstract

The plantar fascia is a multilayered band of fibrous tissue that support and maintain the longitudinal arch of the foot. We report a 34-old obese woman with heel pain for the past 3 years. On physical examination, she presented painful plantar fascia throughout extension of the foot. In addition, a soft painful, mobile nodule was also palpated in the medial aspect of her left heel. An US examination of her left foot showed an increased thickness of her plantar fascia with reduced echogenity, the presence of an effusion and a positive power Doppler signal. Positive US Doppler signal may be helpful in evaluating patients with plantar fasciitis and is suggestive of the presence of active microcirculation.

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Acknowledgments

Grants: Fundação Apoio À Pesquisa Estado São Paulo-Brasil (FAPESP 2008/02917-0 and 2009/06049-6), Conselho Nacional Pesquisa Desenvolvimento-Brasil CNPq (300447/2009-4).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheumatology Service, Pontifica Universidade de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

    José Alexandre Mendonça & José Roberto Provenza

  2. Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

    Simone Appenzeller

  3. Disciplina de Reumatologia, Departamento de Clínica Médica Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, CP 6111 Universidade Estadual de Campinas, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, CEP 13083-970, Brazil

    Simone Appenzeller

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  1. José Alexandre Mendonça
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  2. José Roberto Provenza
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  3. Simone Appenzeller
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Correspondence to Simone Appenzeller.

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Mendonça, J.A., Provenza, J.R. & Appenzeller, S. Positive power Doppler signal in plantar fasciitis. Rheumatol Int 33, 507–509 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-011-2209-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-011-2209-z

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