Arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of chronic plantar heel pain

Abstract

The article aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of arthroscopy-assisted calcaneal spur resection and plantar fascia release on chronic plantar heel pain. This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 32 patients with chronic plantar heel pain who underwent surgery at the Department of Orthopedics, Yubei District People's Hospital of Chongqing, China from January 2019 to August 2021 and had complete follow-up data. All patients had unilateral heel pain and were treated with arthroscopy-assisted calcaneal spur resection and plantar fascia release. The visual analogue scale (VAS) and the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores were used to evaluate the pain and function, respectively, of patients before and 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months after the surgery. The perioperative complications were also recorded. All 32 patients underwent successful surgery, with follow-up for 12–18 months (mean: 15.6 months). The VAS score was significantly decreased from 6.81 ± 0.90 preoperatively to 4.50 ± 1.14 at 2 months postoperatively. The AOFAS score was significantly increased from 62.53 ± 5.73 preoperatively to 71.16 ± 5.74 at 2 months postoperatively (p < 0.05). Arthroscopy-assisted calcaneal spur resection combined with plantar fascia release achieves rapid relief of postoperative pain and recovery of foot function for the treatment of plantar heel pain. This minimally invasive surgery achieved satisfactory outcomes and is feasible for the treatment of plantar heel pain.