A preliminary study recently showed an innovative technique involving fat injection procedure improved symptoms of plantar fasciitis in patients, laying the groundwork for a larger clinical trial.
A EurekAlert! report said that according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the said novel approach that transplants fat of a patient into the sole of their foot could provide relief to those experiencing a common and painful condition known as "plantar fasciitis."
Professor of plastic surgery Jeffrey Gusenoff, MD at Pitt, said they developed such a procedure "to harness the regenerative properties of fat."
More so, this proof-of-concept research showed that fat injections into the foot lessened heel pain, helped patients return to engaging in sports and activities, and enhanced quality of life.
'Plantar Fasciitis'
PF or plantar fasciitis, as detailed in the UPMC site, is one of the most common heel pain conditions, impacting roughly two million people in the United States.
It is caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, connective tissue running from the heel to the toes, not to mention supporting the foot arch.
According to medical assistant professor of plastic surgery from Pitt, Beth Gusenoff, DPM, plantar fasciitis is "exceptionally painful."
She explained when one gets up from a sitting position or sleeping; he'd experience a sharp, searing pain that others describe as being like a nail that goes through their heel.
Possibility of Ending Up with Almost Like a 'Floppy Foot'
Essentially, the acute form of PF is treatable with stretching, cortisone injections, or shoe orthotics. However, the condition in about 10 percent of patients develops to the chronic state in which the collagen of the foot degenerates, and the plantar fascia thickens.
Gusenoff explained that surgical release of the plantar fascia with a tiny cut could be helpful for these particular patients, although such a surgery comes with risks.
The assistant professor also said recently there had been an appeal among podiatrists to stop cutting the plantar fascia as some people are getting a lot of scar tissue, which leads to pain.
She elaborated if too much is cut, the foot can turn destabilized, so people end up with nearly "like a floppy foot."
Inspired by Regenerative Properties of Fat Stem Cells
Drawing inspiration from the fat stem cells' regenerative properties, the Gusenoffs developed a method that uses fat taken from the belly or other body parts of a patient.
In fact, explained Jeffrey Gusenoff, stem cells and growth factors are helping bring in "fresh blood supply," driving a model of wound healing with reduced scarring.
In their study published in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal, the researchers used a blunt needle to prick the plantar fascia, making a small injury to kindle the healing process. Then, they pulled the needle back injected a small portion of the patient's fat.
The team signed up 14 patients with chronic PF for their study to test the new method and divided them into two groups. Participants from Group 1 received the procedure at the onset of the study and were followed for 12 consecutive months.
Meanwhile, participants from Group 2 went through the procedure following a six-month observation period, and they were followed for six months more.
Study Findings
As a result, the researchers discovered that Group 1 experienced improvements in quality of life and sports activity, a decrease in plantar fascia thickness, and reduced levels of pain.
In addition, a lot of the measures that were improving after six months from the procedure got even better by 12 months.
Similarly, Group 2 exhibited decreased plantar fascia thickness and increased sports activity after six months from the procedure. More so, there was a little, but not statistically substantial, improvement in terms of levels of pain.
With a larger size in samples and extended follow-up time, the researchers said it would be possible for them to have seen stronger improvements in the second group.
Related information about plantar fasciitis is shown on Pitt PlusMe's YouTube video below:
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