How to Avoid Complications

Heel pain is one of the most common disorders that foot and ankle surgeons treat. Investigators have stated that of all adult foot complaints, 15% result from heel pain (1). It is important then that the physician know how to properly diagnose and treat this common problem. Although there are many etiologies of plantar heel pain, plantar fasciitis or plantar heel spur syndrome is the most common (2). Fortunately, conservative treatment is successful in roughly 90% of patients seeking treatment with this diagnosis (3, 4). These studies have shown that 6 months of quality conservative treatment should be attempted before surgery is considered. When patients do not respond to conservative therapies, and their plantar heel pain persists, surgical options may be pursued. Surgical treatment for plantar fasciitis has been shown to be very effective with good results routinely reported throughout the literature (5-15). However, complications can be encountered, as with any surgical procedure, so the foot and ankle surgeon must know how to identify complications when they arise and instill a rapid, effective treatment plan.