Fat Injections Can Treat Common Cause of Foot Pain - Plantar Fasciitis

In a preliminary study published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, a couple-led team found that the fat injection procedure improved symptoms of plantar fasciitis in patients, setting the stage for a larger clinical trial foundation

"We developed this procedure to take advantage of the regenerative properties of fat," said Jeffrey Gusenoff, MD, a professor of plastic surgery at Pitt

Plantar fasciitis, or PF for short, is one of the most common causes of heel pain, affecting approximately 2 million people in the United States

"Planar fasciitis is very painful," said Dr.

Acute PF can be treated with stretching, shoe orthotics, or cortisone injections

"Recently, there have been calls from podiatrists to stop removing the plantar fascia because some people have a lot of scar tissue, which can cause pain," she explained

Inspired by the regenerative properties of adipose stem cells, the Gusenoffs developed a technique that uses fat harvested from a patient's abdomen or other parts of the body

"Fat contains stem cells and growth factors that help bring in a fresh blood supply, which promotes wound healing and reduces scarring," explains Geoffrey Gusenoff

To test this approach, the research team recruited 14 chronic PF patients and divided them into two groups

"We found improvements in quality of life and physical activity, reduction in plantar fascia thickness, and pain levels in the first group of patients," said Jeffrey Gusenoff

Likewise, group 2 experienced a decrease in plantar fascia thickness, increased motor activity, and a slight but no statistically significant improvement in pain levels 6 months after surgery

According to Gusenoff, the study provides proof-of-concept that fat injections can treat PF, and they are now planning larger clinical trials to validate these findings

In previous research, Gusenoff's research has shown that fat injections can help with another type of foot pain caused by a lack of fat pads that cushion the balls and heels of the feet

This research was supported by the Virginia Kaufman Pain Research Challenge

Journal Reference :

1. Beth R.