A prospective trial of night splinting in the treatment of recalcitrant plantar fasciitis: the Ankle Dorsiflexion Dynasplint.

Abstract

Twelve patients were treated with the Ankle Dorsiflexion Dynasplint (Dynasplint Systems Inc, Severna, Md) for recalcitrant plantar fasciittis. Using a modified plantar fasciitis functional assessment scale and a visual analog pain assessment scale for evaluation, 75% of patients reported improvement ofsymptoms at 1-month follow-up. The average percentage of weekly sleeping hours spent in the splint was 95%. There was no tendency to deterioration of results by 6 months postsplinting. The Ankle Dorsiflexion Dynasplint is effective in the treatment of recalcitrant heel pain in a majority of patients. This study supports its use for the treatment of recalcitrant plantar fasciitis.