European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background: Plantar fasciitis is a degenerative condition, which is the most common cause of heel pain seen in nearly 10% of population. Though it is usually a self-limiting disease, symptoms may require treatment. Methods: 120 (n=60) adult patients with chronic plantar fasciitis, who met the inclusion criteria were evaluated from November 2020 to June 2021 in IGGGH & PGI, Puducherry. In this prospective comparative study, Group-A was given Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) and Group-B was given triamcinolone acetonide injections intra-lesionally. Follow-up was done at 4th, 8th and 12th week post-injection and improvement was assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS), American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Score (AOFAS-AHFS) and Foot & Ankle Ability Measure - Activities of Daily Living (FAAM-ADL) subscale. Results: 63 males and 57 females in the age group between 23 and 81 years with a mean duration of symptoms of 6.74 ± 2.75 months were included. Right side was predominantly involved. There was a statistically significant improvement in VAS and FAAM-ADL at 4 weeks follow-up in group B, whereas there was no difference in effectiveness at 8th and 12th weeks. AOFAS-AHFS scores were similar in both with “excellent” results in 23 Group-A and 45 Group-B patients. Conclusion: Both PRP and corticosteroid injections are effective in treating chronic cases of plantar fasciitis with better immediate results with corticosteroid. As PRP is an autologous product it is a safer option. Further studies with longer follow-up period are needed to confirm our findings.and lignocaine alone.