The influence of athletic activity on the plantar fascia in healthy young adults

✍ Scribed by Murat Uzel; Ercan Cetinus; H. Cetin Ekerbicer; Ahmet Karaoguz

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 91 KB
• Volume: 34
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0091-2751
• DOI: 10.1002/jcu.20178

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Purpose

Complaints deriving from the plantar fascia are relatively common in athletes. This study aimed to investigate the changes of thickness of plantar fascia via sonography in healthy young adults with different levels of activity.

Patients and Methods

One hundred ten adults with normal body mass index were separated into three groups according to activity level: sedentary (group 1, n = 50), athletic activity less than 7 hours per week (group 2, n = 30), and athletic activity 7 or more hours per week (group 3, n = 30). The thicknesses of the plantar fascia at origin and at a point 5 mm distal to origin were measured via sonography.

Results

The mean values of the thickness of the proximal plantar fascia (PFp) and the distal plantar fascia (PFd) in group 1 were similar to those of groups 2 and 3 (p > 0.05). The mean values of PFp and PFd were significantly higher in men than in women (p < 0.05). The mean values of PFp and PFd were similar in left and right feet (p > 0.05). There were moderate positive correlations between PFp and weight, height, and body mass index but no correlation between PFp and amount of athletic activity.

Conclusions

The thickness of the plantar fascia at origin did not change with athletic activity at the amateur level. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 34:17–21, 2006