Purpose
To measure plantar fascia (PF) thickness in Egyptian patients with spondyloarthropathy (SpA) using high-resolution musculoskeletal ultrasound and to assess its relationship with age, sex, BMI, and clinical and laboratory parameters of disease activity.
Patients and methods
PF thickness was measured in 50 patients with SpA (diagnosis based on Amor criteria), in addition to 100 healthy volunteers as a control group, using 7–13-MHz linear array transducer.
Results
The mean PF thickness in patients with SpA was 5.17±1.25 mm, whereas it was 3.06±0.65 mm in the control group, with significant difference (<0.05); however, there was no statistically significant difference regarding sex. The mean thickness is significant higher in obese and old patients (<0.05). There was a significant correlation between PF thickness and age, BMI, clinical, and laboratory parameters of disease activity in patients with SpA (<0.05).
Conclusion
SpA is frequently associated with plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis in patients with SpA may be clinically asymptomatic and early diagnosed with ultrasonography. PF mean thickness was found to be more than 4 mm in most patients with SpA. Its thickness is associated with disease activity and functional impairment.