To observe the clinical effect of internal heat needle under the ultrasound guidance tibial nerve block in the treatment of patients with plantar fasciitis.

Ninety patients with plantar fasciitis, aged 31-77 years, 38 males, 52 females, admitted to the Department of Painology in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from July 2019 to December 2019, were randomly divided into the internal heat needle under the tibial nerve block group (group IHB, n=45) and internal heat needle group (group IH, n=45). The patients were treated with internal heat needle on the plantar fascia in group IH, while the patients were treated with internal heat needle under ultrasound-guidance tibial nerve block in the group IHB. NRS, Maryland foot function score and the plantar fascia thickness were recorded for all the patients at 1 day, 7 days, 30 days and 90 days before and after the treatment. The curative effects were compared between the two groups at 90 days after the treatment.

Compared with pre-treatment, NRS was[(3.5±1.2) and (2.5±0.8)] scores at 1 day and 7 days after the treatment in the group IHB, which were decreased than [(8.8±1.4) and (3.9±1.6)] scores at the same time in the group IH (all P<0.05). The Maryland foot function score was much higher at 1 day after the treatment in the group IHB (45±5) than that in the group IH (38±6) with statistical difference (P<0.05). The thickness of plantar fascia had no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The ratio of excellent and good effects were 91.1% (41/45 cases) in group IHB, 88.9% (40/45 cases) in group IH repectively, at 90 days after the treatment (P>0.05).

Internal heat needle under the ultrasound-guided tibial nerve block is a safe and effective method to treat plantar fasciitis.

Metatarsus; Fasciitis; Tibial nerve; Internal heat needle; Ultrasound guidance