EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC PLANTAR FASCIITIS WITH DORSIFLEXION NIGHT SPLINTS - A CROSSOVER PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED OUTCOME STUDY

Chronic plantar fasciitis frustrates patients and treating physicians. Our hypothesis was that use of a dorsiflexion night splint for 1 mont h would effectively treat patients with recalcitrant plantar fasciitis . A 6-month randomized crossover study included 37 patients with chron ic plantar fasciitis. Patients were treated with dorsiflexion night sp lints for 1 month. Group A wore splints for the Ist month and group B for the 2nd month. No splints were used in either group for the final 4 months of the study. No other medications, stretching, or strengthen ing exercises were prescribed. Eighty-eight percent of patients who co mpleted the study improved. Eighty percent of the involved feet improv ed subjectively. Results of the AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Rating System(17) and the Mayo Clinical Scoring System(7) demonstrated significant impr ovement for both groups during the period of splint wear. Improvements were maintained at study completion. Response to splinting did not co rrelate with foot type, degree of obesity, or the presence of heel spu r on radiographs. We believe dorsiflexion splints provide relief from the symptoms of recalcitrant plantar fasciitis in the majority of pati ents.