• Chien-Min Chen, Jenq-Shyong Chen, Wen-Chung Tsai, Hung-Chih Hsu, Kai-Hua Chen, and Chu-Hsu Lin.
• Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
• Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2013 Jul 1;92(7):597-605.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of device-assisted ultrasound-guided steroid injection for treating plantar fasciitis.DesignAn ultrasound-guided injection device designed with space for securing a transducer and syringe was used to guide steroid injection. Patients with unilateral plantar fasciitis were enrolled and randomly divided into device-assisted ultrasound-guided and palpation-guided groups. Pain intensity was measured using a visual analog scale and tenderness threshold. Ultrasound and pain intensity evaluations were performed before injection and at 3 wks and at 3 mos postinjection. Betamethasone (7 mg) and 1% lidocaine (0.5 ml) were injected into the inflamed plantar fascia.ResultsThirty-three patients who received either device-assisted ultrasound-guided or palpation-guided injection had significantly lower visual analog scale scores (P < 0.001) and higher tenderness threshold (P < 0.01) postinjection. However, the device-assisted group had higher tenderness threshold (9.02 ± 1.38 vs. 7.18 ± 2.11 kg/cm; P = 0.007), lower visual analog scale score (1.88 ± 2.13 vs. 3.63 ± 2.60; P = 0.046), and lower hypoechogenicity incidence in the plantar fascia (3/16 vs. 9/16; P = 0.033) than the palpation-guided group did at 3 mos postinjection. The heel pad was significantly thin (P = 0.004) in the palpation-guided group postinjection.ConclusionsDevice-assisted ultrasound-guided injection for treating plantar fasciitis results in better therapeutic outcomes than palpation-guided injection does.

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