Background: The thick fibrous aponeurosis originating from medial calcaneal tuberosity and spanning the plantar aspect of foot is plantar fascia. This structure undergoes chronic degenerative changes resulting in clinical condition called plantar fasciitis (PF). PF is by far the commonest cause of chronic heel pain and is often refractory to conventional treatment modalities. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) derived from centrifugation of autologous blood has been offered as minimally invasive, regenerative, orthobiologic therapy for chronic PF. Our study aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety and consistency of PRP in management of chronic PF. Method: Fifty patients (n50) having symptoms of chronic PF for atleast six months and failed conservative therapy were given a single dose of autologous PRP injection locally. Patients were evaluated using Visual Analog score (VAS) and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score at pre-injection (T0) and Post-injection six months (T1). These scoring systems asses patients for pain, functionality, alignment and endurance. Results: A statistically significant improvement in both the scoring systems was noted at the end of the study period (p Conclusion: Single dose PRP injection in chronic PF as an alternate to conventional therapy offers unequivocal, consistent and predictable reduction in pain and improvement in functionality. Our study demonstrates that local PRP injection is an effective and safe therapy for chronic PF.
Varma et al. (Tue,) studied this question.