Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24452814›Full record

ArticleStrahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al]2014

Re-irradiation for painful heel spur syndrome. Retrospective analysis of 101 heels.

M G Hautmann, U Neumaier, O Kölbl

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al], 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. DEGRO guidelines for the radiotherapy of non-malignant disorders : part III: hyperproliferative disorders.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2015
    Guideline
  2. Radiotherapy of painful heel spur with two fractionation regimens : Results of a randomized multicenter trial after 48 weeks' follow-up.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2017
    Trial
  3. Implementing a low-dose radiation therapy program for musculoskeletal pain disorders: tips, tricks, and essentials for clinical researchers.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2025
    Review
  4. Non-Oncological Radiotherapy: A Review of Modern Approaches.Journal of personalized medicine · 2022
    Review
  5. Long-term effect and prognostic factors of a low-dose radiotherapy of painful plantar calcaneal spurs : A retrospective unicenter study.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2021
    Article
  6. Critical review on the socio-economic impact of tendinopathy.Asia-Pacific journal of sports medicine, arthroscopy, rehabilitation and technology · 2016
    Review
  7. Retrospective evaluation of the effectiveness of radiotherapy in patients with plantar fascitis (heel spurs).Reports of practical oncology and radiotherapy : journal of Greatpoland Cancer Center in Poznan and Polish Society of Radiation Oncology
    Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

M G HautmannDepartment of Radiotherapy, University of Regensburg, 94042, Regensburg, Germany, matthias.hautmann@ukr.de.
U Neumaier
O Kölbl
University of Regensburg · DEMedizinisches Versorgungszentrum Prof. Mathey, Prof. Schofer · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePainful heel spur syndrome is a common disease with a lifetime prevalence of approximately 10 %. One of the most effective treatment options is radiotherapy. Many authors recommend a second or third series of radiation for recurrent pain and partial or no response to the initial treatment. As the results of re-irradiation have not been systematically analyzed the aim of this study was to document the results of repeated radiation treatment and to identify patients who could benefit from this treatment. MATERIAL AND

methodsThe analysis was performed on patients from 2 German radiotherapy institutions and included 101 re-irradiated heels. Pain was documented with the numeric rating scale (NRS) and carried out before and directly after each radiation therapy as well as for the follow-up period of 24 months. The median age of the patients was 56 years with 30.1 % male and 69.9 % female patients. Pain was caused by plantar fasciitis in 72.3 %, Haglund's exostosis in 15.8 % and Achilles tendinitis in 11.9 %. Repeated radiation was indicated because the initial radiotherapy resulted in no response in 35.6 % of patients, partial response in 39.6 % and recurrent pain in 24.8 %.

resultsA significant response to re-irradiation could be found. For the whole sample the median NRS pain score was 6 before re-irradiation, 2 after 6 weeks and 0 after 12 and 24 months. Of the patients 73.6 % were free of pain 24 months after re-irradiation. All subgroups, notably those with no response, partial response and recurrent pain had a significant reduction of pain.

conclusionRe-irradiation of painful heel spur syndrome is an effective and safe treatment. All subgroups showed a good response to re-irradiation for at least 24 months.

Indexed as

Achilles TendonFasciitis, PlantarFemaleHeel SpurHumansMaleMiddle AgedPain MeasurementRetreatmentRetrospective StudiesTendinopathyTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID24452814
OpenAlexW123506650

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.