Plantar Fasciitis - Diagnostic Imaging

Ultrasound imaging for heel injuries.

As it is quick, non-invasive, and inexpensive, an ultrasound examination is an excellent diagnostic imaging tool for plantar fasciitis and heel pain disorders.

Plantar fasciitis ultrasound.

Ultrasound imaging is of great help for achieving a correct and accurate diagnosis of plantar fasciitis, prompting quick, appropriate treatment and assisting in identifying the prognosis.

Plantar fascia disorders are common among adults. They cause pain and disability that may curtail physical activities like sports, work, or even routine tasks.

Instead of a conventional radiograph or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, an ultrasound is the preferred modality of imaging for assessing and treating plantar fascia cases due to its affordability and accessibility. It also provides physicians with rapid results and immediate medical corroboration of the deduced diagnosis.

Additionally, this imaging method allows the patient to move their foot and ankle while the doctor performs the examination. Ultrasound thus leads to a more accurate and pinpoint diagnosis of heel pain and aids in facilitating a more direct and appropriate treatment of the causal pathology.

No radiation.

Unlike other imaging tests such as x-rays and computerised tomography (CT) scans, ultrasounds do not use ionising radiation.

An ultrasound is a non-invasive, radiation-free diagnostic imaging tool that uses inaudible sound waves to create images of internal body structures, including the plantar fascia within the foot. While MRI also does not utilise radiation for its procedure, an ultrasound is still the chosen tool for plantar fasciitis imaging because of its affordability and capability to provide far detailed information about the fascia fibres, among other things.

Real-time images.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound offers a live, high-resolution visualisation of the internal foot structure, allowing doctors to readily pinpoint the most troubled area and target the treatment accurately.

For the overall assessment and management of plantar fasciitis, physicians will use ultrasound for particular reasons: first, to dynamically move the affected region during the examination. Second, due to providing real-time images of the heel’s internal structure, ultrasounds are excellent tools during response treatments to ensure doctors accurately place the injection on the most damaged region. It is in this way that they can facilitate better outcomes for the patient.

Understanding plantar fascia tear ultrasound.

Despite its name, plantar fasciitis is the degeneration, not the inflammation, of the foot’s plantar fascia. This disorder is related to overuse trauma that leads to microtears.

Plantar fasciitis ultrasound observations show the thickening of the fascia over 4mm and a hypoechoic fascia. Diagnosis is made easier with sonographic machines as they enable marking and measuring of the fascia. Thickness decreases on ultrasound with successful treatment.

Other plantar fascia tear ultrasound findings include the loss of fibrillar structure, perifascial collections, calcifications, and soft tissue abnormalities. Hyperaemia can also be revealed through doppler ultrasound.

Further Information.

Referring doctors are welcome to discuss with our radiologists the imaging needs of their patients and whether an ultrasound is suitable for their patient’s medical condition.