ABSTRACT
Foot pain and disability may curtail the performance of simple routine tasks, work-related
duties, and athletic activities. Disorders of the plantar fascia are commonly encountered
in the diagnostic evaluation of subcalcaneal heel pain. The approach to imaging the
ankle and foot has undergone significant amendment with the introduction of magnetic
resonance (MR) imaging. MR imaging allows direct visualization of the plantar fascia
and permits a comprehensive evaluation of a wide spectrum of disorders involving the
fascia and perifascial structures, including bones, ligaments, musculotendinous units,
and intrinsic muscles of the foot. The objectives of our cadaveric and clinical study
are to describe the normal MR imaging appearance of the plantar fascia and analyze
the signal intensity changes in the fascia and perifascial tissue with conventional
MR imaging in symptomatic patients. We present a brief overview of common disease
processes involving the plantar fascia that may prove practical for routine imaging
evaluation of patients with suspected pathology.
KEYWORDS
Plantar fascia - magnetic resonance imaging - foot