Observational studyBMC musculoskeletal disorders2020
Stretching and relaxing the plantar fascia may change plantar fascia thickness but not pressure pain thresholds: a cross-sectional study of patients with plantar fasciopathy.
Observational study in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03291665 (Comparing Thickness of the Plantar Fascia in Stretched and Relaxed Positions and the Association With Pressure Pain Threshold in Patients With Plantar Fasciopathy), which is not on this map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Comparing Thickness of the Plantar Fascia in Stretched and Relaxed Positions and the Association With Pressure Pain Threshold in Patients With Plantar Fasciopathy
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Quantitative Understanding of Advanced Novel Imaging Techniques for Fasciitis and Biosignature Yield (Quantify): Protocol for a Cross-Sectional Diagnostic Study.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Regional variations in plantar fascia elasticity and their association with pain in plantar fasciitis: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews on the Epidemiology, Evaluation, and Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Fascial Nomenclature: Update 2021, Part 2.Cureus · 2021Review
- Elasticity of the Achilles Tendon in Individuals With and Without Plantar Fasciitis: A Shear Wave Elastography Study.Frontiers in physiology · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDespite the established relevance of ultrasonography and assessment of pressure pain thresholds in patients with plantar fasciopathy, patient and probe positioning has been mostly ignored and are not necessarily reported in research. The primary aim of this study was to compare plantar fascia thickness in stretched and relaxed positions in patients with plantar fasciopathy. The secondary aim was to compare plantar heel pressure pain thresholds in these positions.
methodsIn this cross-sectional study, we measured the plantar fascia thickness with ultrasonography, and localised pressure pain thresholds using pressure algometry of 20 patients with plantar fasciopathy. These were assessed bilaterally, with the plantar fascia in both a stretched and relaxed position. In the stretched position, toes were maximally dorsiflexed, while in the relaxed position participants' feet were hanging freely over the end of the table.
resultsThe plantar fascia of the most symptomatic foot was significantly thicker when stretched compared with the relaxed position (sagittal: mean difference 0.2 mm, 95%CI: 0.1-0.4, P = 0.013; frontal: mean difference - 0.27, 95%CI: - 0.49 to - 0.06, P = 0.014). The plantar fascia was significantly thinner in the frontal plane compared with the sagittal plane in both positions (stretched: mean difference - 0.2 mm, 95%CI: - 0.42 to - 0.03, P = 0.025; relaxed: mean difference - 0.3 mm, 95%CI:-0.49 to - 0.08, P = 0.008). There was no difference between pressure pain thresholds in stretched or relaxed positions in either foot (P > 0.4).
conclusionsThe plantar fascia was significantly thicker in a stretched compared with a relaxed position and in the sagittal compared with the frontal plane, but differences were smaller than the standard deviation. Pressure pain thresholds were not different between the positions. These results highlight the importance of how ultrasonography is performed and reported in research to allow for replication.
trial registrationThe study was pre-registered September 25th, 2017 on ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT03291665 ).
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