Abstract
Biomechanical dysfunction of the foot is most common cause of plantar fascia disorder
and obesity and increasing age are well-known risk factors. Due to being inexpensive
and quick, ultrasound imaging techniques are considered the modality of choice to
assess plantar fascia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of age
and body mass index (BMI) on sonographic findings of plantar fascia in normal population.
Ultrasonography was used to measure the plantar fascia thickness of 148 healthy adults
(54 males, 36.5% and 94 females, 63.5%) during a period of one year. The age, BMI,
and walking distance of each participant were recorded and statistically analyzed.
The mean plantar fascia thicknesses at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 cm distal to the insertion
of the plantar fascia were 1.76 ± 0.32 mm, 2.50 ± 0.50 mm and 2.11 ± 0.41 mm respectively.
The mean plantar fascia thickness for individuals ≥45 years and BMI ≥25 were significantly
higher (p < .001) compared to individuals <45 years and BMI <25. In a normal population, the
thickness of the plantar fascia determined by ultrasound measurement was less than
3 mm. We recommend using the position 1.0 cm distal to the calcaneal insertion of
the plantar fascia as the reference point for diagnosing plantar fasciitis. The thickness
of plantar fascia was significantly increased with age and BMI whereas gender, walking
activity, exercise and running did not seem to affect the plantar fascia thickness.
Level of Clinical Evidence
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 23, 2022
Footnotes
Financial Disclosure: This study was supported by a grant from the Siriraj Research Fund, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University.
Conflict of Interest: None reported.
Identification
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© 2022 by the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. All rights reserved.
