PLANTAR FASCIITIS: AN UPDATE ON CLINICAL AND BIOMECHANICAL FEATURES

Abstract

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory condition, characterized by pain in the medial, central and lateral plantar compartments, accompanied by stiffness. The purpose of this study is to compared 30 runner affected by plantar fasciitis to a. control group and to point out 1) the different areas of pain and referred pain, 2) the isokinetic muscular performance of the plantar flexor muscle, by means of a Cibex 6000 isokinetic dynamometer and tests performed concentrically and eccentrically at 30, 60, 90, 180 deg/sec. 3) the data of the foot-ground reaction got by means of a. dynamometric platform. Results: In all the three sectors of plantar fascia there are different areas of pain and referred pain. An high incidence of plantar flexor muscle strength deficits has been showed both during concentric and eccentric contraction, and in addition the ankle range of motion is reduced. The gait analysis has shown a persistent alteration of the foot-ground reaction's parameters. The Aa. present the results of the treatment based on the correction of biomechanical deficits with follow-up of three years.