The association between plantar fasciitis and isolated gastrocnemius tightness
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Date
2018
Authors
Nakale, Ngenomeulu Tufikifa
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Abstract
Background: Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory condition affecting the plantar
aponeurosis of the foot. An association between plantar fasciitis and isolated
gastrocnemius tightness has been postulated in published literature; however there
have been few studies to prove this relationship. The aim of this study was to determine
the association between plantar fasciitis and isolated gastrocnemius tightness.
Material and Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional cohort study over a
three-month period comprising three groups: 45 patients with plantar fasciitis, 117
patients with foot and ankle pathology other than plantar fasciitis and 61 patients
without foot and ankle pathology. Patients were examined for the presence of isolated
gastrocnemius tightness using the Silfverskiӧld test. The data were analysed using
STATA version 14. Statistical tests included the chi-square test, Student’s t-test and
analysis of variance (ANOVA). Statistical tests were two-sided at α = 0.05.
Results: Overall, 101/223 (45.3%) patients had isolated gastrocnemius tightness,
36/45 (80%) in the plantar fasciitis group, 53/117 (45.3%) in the other foot and ankle
pathology group and 12/61 (19.7%) in the group without foot and ankle pathology. The
difference in the prevalence of isolated gastrocnemius tightness amongst the three
groups was statistically highly significant at p < 0.001. The prevalence of isolated
gastrocnemius tightness was similar between acute and chronic symptoms of plantar
fasciitis at 78.9% and 80.6%, respectively.
Conclusion: There is a very strong association between plantar fasciitis and isolated
gastrocnemius tightness, OR 16.3, 95% CI (6.1 – 42.5); p < 0.001 as well as a strong
association between foot and ankle pathology other than plantar fasciitis and isolated
gastrocnemius tightness, OR 3.4, 95% CI (1.6 – 7.0); p = 0.001 using the group without
foot and ankle pathology as reference.
Level of Evidence: Level 2, Cross-sectional Cohort Study
Key words: Plantar fasciitis, Silfverskiӧld test, Isolated gastrocnemius tightness
Description
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the
Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Medicine.
Johannesburg, May 2018.
Keywords
Gastrocnemius Tightness