MR tomography of plantar fasciitis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the type and frequency of characteristic bone and soft tissue changes on MRI of patients with a cl inical diagnosis of plantar fasciitis. Materials and Methods: 28 patients w ith a clinical diagnosis of plantar fasciitis underwent MR imaging. Besides T-1- and T-2-weighted sequences, short-tau-inversion-recovery sequences we re used routinely, In 27 patients T-1-weighted images after intravenous con trast injection were acquired additionally. As a control group the images o f 15 patients without clinical signs for plantar fasciitis were evaluated. Results: In 25 of 28 cases (89%) the clinical diagnosis of plantar fasciiti s was established by MR imaging. The most common finding was a peritendinou s edema at the calcaneal insertion site which was found in all 25 patients. In 19 of 25 cases (76%) a bone marrow edema of the calcaneus was present, In 14 of 25 cases (56%) an intratendinous signal intensity increase of the plantar fascia could be observed which showed contrast enhancement in 12 ca ses. Compared to the control group (mean thickness 3.3 mm) the plantar fasc ia showed significant thickening in the 25 MR positive patients (mean thick ness 6.72 mm). Discussion: Besides thickening of the plantar fascia and int ratendinous signal intensity increase with contrast enhancement to some ext ent, bone marrow edema of the calcaneus and peritendinous edema close to th e plantar fascia are characteristic signs of plantar fasciitis on MRI. Both signs can reliably be seen on STIR sequences only.