Plantar fasciitis: A literature review

Plantar fasciitis is the most frequent cause of heel pain. This paper reviewed the state of the art regarding plantar fasciitis, with emphasis on recent studies, giving increasing importance to the gastrocnemius contracture in the pathogenesis and choice of treatment. Non-surgical therapies provide good results in 90% of cases within 6 months, so that surgical treatment is generally reserved for refractory cases. Treatment options were reviewed, including injections, physical therapies and orthotics. In the past century, complete or partial plantar fasciotomy was the surgery of choice, while in recent years, most surgeons agree in choosing a gastroc release technique, in particular the proximal medial gastroc release. It was unclear whether this technique could be extended to all cases of recalcitrant plantar fasciitis. Some studies stated that the contracture of the gastrocnemius is an essential component of recalcitrant plantar fasciitis, even if not always detectable through clinical examination.