Plantar Fasciitis Differential Diagnoses

  • Author: Craig C Young, MD; Chief Editor: Craig C Young, MD   more...
 
Updated: Nov 4, 2011
 
 

Diagnostic Considerations

In addition to the conditions listed in the differential diagnosis, other problems to be considered include the following:

  • Bone bruise
  • Calcaneal epiphysitis (Sever disease)
  • Calcaneal neuritis
  • Calcaneal stress fracture
  • Calcaneus bone injuries
  • Entrapment syndromes (eg, medial calcaneal branch of the posterior tibial nerve entrapment, abductor digiti quinti nerve entrapment, tarsal tunnel syndrome)
  • Fat pad syndrome (atrophy, heel bruise)
  • Infection
  • Inflammatory arthropathies
  • Neuropathic pain
  • Osteomalacia
  • Paget disease
  • Plantar fascia rupture
  • S1 radiculopathy
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Space-occupying lesions
  • Spondyloarthropathy (ie, Reiter syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis)
  • Tendinitis (eg, of the flexor hallucis longus, flexor hallucis brevis, peroneus longus, or tibialis posterior)
  • Tumor
  • Unicameral bone cyst

Differential Diagnoses

Proceed to Workup
 
 
Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Craig C Young, MD  Professor, Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Community and Family Medicine, Medical Director of Sports Medicine, Director of Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Craig C Young, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Sports Medicine, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, and Phi Beta Kappa

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Craig C Young, MD  Professor, Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Community and Family Medicine, Medical Director of Sports Medicine, Director of Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin

Craig C Young, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Sports Medicine, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, and Phi Beta Kappa

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Additional Contributors

Gregory C Berlet, MD, FRCS(C) Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopedics, Chief of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health

Gregory C Berlet, MD, FRCS(C) is a member of the following medical societies: American Medical Association, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Orthopaedic Association, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Ontario Medical Association, and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Jason H Calhoun, MD, FACS Frank J Kloenne Chair in Orthopedic Surgery, Professor and Chair, Department of Orthopedics, The Ohio State University Medical Center

Jason H Calhoun, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, American Diabetes Association, American Medical Association, American Orthopaedic Association, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, Missouri State Medical Association, Musculoskeletal Infection Society, Southern Medical Association, Southern Orthopaedic Association, Texas Medical Association, and Texas Orthopaedic Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

William T DeCarbo, DPM Foot and Ankle Surgeon, Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Center

William T DeCarbo, DPM is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and American Podiatric Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

James K DeOrio, MD Director of Foot and Ankle Fellowship Program, Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, St Lukes Hospital, Jacksonville, Florida

James K DeOrio, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, Florida Medical Association, and German Society of Neurology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Miguel C Fernandez, MD, FAAEM, FACEP, FACMT, FACCT Associate Clinical Professor; Medical and Managing Director, South Texas Poison Center, Department of Surgery/Emergency Medicine and Toxicology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Miguel C Fernandez, MD, FAAEM, FACEP, FACMT, FACCT is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Clinical Toxicologists, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Medical Toxicology, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Texas Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Joseph P Garry, MD, FACSM, FAAFP Associate Professor, Sports Medicine Faculty, Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School

Joseph P Garry, MD, FACSM, FAAFP is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Sports Medicine, American Heart Association, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, and North American Primary Care Research Group

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Shepard R Hurwitz, MD Executive Director, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Shepard R Hurwitz, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Rheumatology, American College of Sports Medicine, American College of Surgeons, American Diabetes Association, American Orthopaedic Association, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, Eastern Orthopaedic Association, Orthopaedic Research Society, Orthopaedic Trauma Association, and Southern Orthopaedic Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Christopher F Hyer, DPM, FACFAS Foot and Ankle Surgeon, Director, Advanced Foot and Ankle Surgery Fellowship, Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Center

Christopher F Hyer, DPM, FACFAS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and American Podiatric Medical Association

Disclosure: Wright Medical Technology Consulting fee Consulting; Wright Medical Technology Royalty Consulting; Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation Grant/research funds Co-Investigator

Rick Kulkarni, MD

Rick Kulkarni, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: WebMD Salary Employment

Eric L Legome, MD Chief, Department of Emergency Medicine, Kings County Hospital Center; Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Medical College

Eric L Legome, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Leslie Milne, MD Assistant Clinical Instructor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard University School of Medicine

Leslie Milne, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Sports Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Dinesh Patel, MD, FACS Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School; Chief of Arthroscopic Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital

Dinesh Patel, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Mark A Silverberg, MD, FACEP, MMB Assistant Professor, Assistant Residency Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York Downstate College of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Staten Island University Hospital, Kings County Hospital, University Hospital, State University of New York Downstate at Brooklyn

Mark A Silverberg, MD, FACEP, MMB is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Deepika Singh, MD Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, New London, CT

Deepika Singh, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, Emergency Medicine Residents Association, and Sigma Theta Tau International

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Matthew D Sorensen, DPM Foot and Ankle Surgeon, Summit Orthopedics

Matthew D Sorensen, DPM is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine

Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Russell D White, MD Professor of Medicine, Director of Sports Medicine Fellowship Program, Medical Director, Sports Medicine Center, Head Team Physician, University of Missouri-Kansas City Intercollegiate Athletic Program, Department of Community and Family Medicine, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Truman Medical Center Lakewood

Russell D White, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American College of Sports Medicine, American Diabetes Association, and American Medical Society for Sports Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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Weight-bearing windlass test.
Calf stretch.
Towel curl.
Toe taps.
Night splint.
Low-dye taping method. This technique provides support for plantar fascia and helps reduce excessive pronation.
Example of arch support with cushioned heel. These are available in three-quarter or full lengths to fit in shoe.
Example of night splint. These are intended to prevent shortening of Achilles tendon and plantar fascia at night.
Orthosis
Night splint, designed to prevent shortening of Achilles tendon and plantar fascia at night.
Plantar fascia stretching exercise.
 
 
 
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